:00:33. > :00:41.It's-day three and we have now seen all the contenders at this year's
:00:42. > :00:46.World Tour finals. It started with a bang as Stan Wawrinka outlasted
:00:47. > :00:49.Tomas Berdych in the opening match. And then Juan Martin Del Potro
:00:50. > :00:58.burned through the defences of Richard Gasquet. Yesterday, we saw
:00:59. > :01:01.Rafa Nadal blaze through David Ferrer for the 21st time and Novak
:01:02. > :01:05.Djokovic's hot winning streak continued with another victory over
:01:06. > :01:10.six time champion Roger Federer. Today, Nadal will be trying to
:01:11. > :01:15.clinch the year-end number one spot against Wawrinka, who has nothing to
:01:16. > :01:21.lose. With a semifinal beckoning, both men are fired up for the
:01:22. > :01:28.challenge. And we are all fired up to watch
:01:29. > :01:33.them as well. Bradford -- Rafa Nadal against and vibrant. So looking
:01:34. > :01:38.forward to it. And, Andrew, for Rafa today, we could see him but his
:01:39. > :01:42.place in the semifinal and be crowned world number one. I think it
:01:43. > :01:46.has been driving in the sometime. When you look at the top guys, you
:01:47. > :01:56.wonder what keeps them coming back for more. And the year-end number
:01:57. > :02:02.one is one of the things. Only one blemish on Rafa's record. He stayed
:02:03. > :02:08.calm against Ferrer and got the job done. And he is walking charisma
:02:09. > :02:13.when he walks on court. How do you set up a game plan against Tim? I
:02:14. > :02:20.just don't know. It is one of the most ever devastating shots. It is
:02:21. > :02:23.tough enough setting up a game against Nadal but when you Wawrinka
:02:24. > :02:28.you are coming on court for the 12 time and you haven't won a set
:02:29. > :02:32.against him and that is hard to deal with mentally, and he will have to
:02:33. > :02:36.think about the way you can have an impact so he can go out with some
:02:37. > :02:43.sort of belief to think you can win the match today. Rafa, when he came
:02:44. > :02:50.on court, the crowd just love him. Roger as well and Andy, but he does
:02:51. > :02:54.just ignite a sort of passion. They do. I spoke to some ladies
:02:55. > :03:04.recently, the tri- County ladies lunch! Some formidable ladies in
:03:05. > :03:09.there! They love him. Men and women. And you can see why. And we will see
:03:10. > :03:12.why today. But he just has to take it step-by-step and see what
:03:13. > :03:21.happens, Wawrinka. He has had the time of his career of his life!
:03:22. > :03:26.Today is another match and we already for the introductions. Here
:03:27. > :03:28.we go. From Switzerland, Stanislav Wawrinka!
:03:29. > :04:01.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Ladies and gentlemen, the world
:04:02. > :04:04.number one! Winner of 13 grand slam titles making his sixth appearance
:04:05. > :04:08.at the Barclays ATP World Tour finals, from Majorca, Spain, Rafael
:04:09. > :04:43.Nadal! Ladies and gentlemen...
:04:44. > :04:48.SUE BARKER: Aren't we happy to have Djokovic and Federer here last night
:04:49. > :04:55.and now Rafa this afternoon with outstanding players at the top
:04:56. > :05:01.became full -- at the top of their game. When the players come on,
:05:02. > :05:08.17,500 people in this magnificent stadium, which is brilliant. And the
:05:09. > :05:11.players appreciate that. You saw in Rafa's previous performance, in
:05:12. > :05:16.Paris, you came and put a marker down and played fantastically well.
:05:17. > :05:20.The consequences of this match big in many areas. If he wins he is
:05:21. > :05:24.almost certain to go through to the semifinals but if he wins he is also
:05:25. > :05:34.world number one, so plenty to play for. And it is great to have him in
:05:35. > :05:37.the tournament, because so often at this time of-year, he has been
:05:38. > :05:40.injured. He has missed a number of these Championship finals and it is
:05:41. > :05:46.great at the end of the-year that he is here. He lost in the final two
:05:47. > :05:51.Federer. I agree, you often comes in and this is a bit of an afterthought
:05:52. > :05:58.at the end of the-year. If it were on clay, perhaps that would be
:05:59. > :06:02.fairer for him. This is the surface. If you are vulnerable ever, it is on
:06:03. > :06:08.a relatively low bouncing, medium paced and slowish indoor court. He
:06:09. > :06:14.does actually lose on this surface, whereas on clay, he never does. He
:06:15. > :06:17.was asked yesterday in the press conference about playing on clay,
:06:18. > :06:23.playing on hard court, and he was asked, what does you like about it?
:06:24. > :06:30.And he just said sunshine. By like to be outside. The way his game
:06:31. > :06:35.reacts and the way the ball bounces, obviously on an indoor court, with
:06:36. > :06:38.no variables, players can take the ball a bit earlier. When you are
:06:39. > :06:45.playing outside there was a with a bit of a breeze and perhaps the
:06:46. > :06:52.surface is not so consistent. We will talk more in a moment.
:06:53. > :07:08.Five minutes warm up. You going to choose?
:07:09. > :07:16.I think they are smiling as well. I don't know who was moving more! Like
:07:17. > :07:21.two box is getting ready! He won't move as quickly back to the baseline
:07:22. > :07:30.when they turn. Cameraman, on your marks, get set! We missed it! But
:07:31. > :07:34.the crowd thoroughly enjoyed it! They are going to thoroughly enjoy
:07:35. > :07:38.this match with so much at stake, and we will talk more about this
:07:39. > :07:42.match in just a moment, but let's just reflect on last night. A
:07:43. > :07:46.wonderful match, as you would expect. Won by Djokovic in three
:07:47. > :07:55.sets and this is how he sealed the match. He won it six - four, 6-7,
:07:56. > :07:59.6-2. And that was match point. Another brutal encounter. Is
:08:00. > :08:05.certainly was. I think it was about two and a half hours. I think from
:08:06. > :08:10.Federer's point of view, it went OK. No better than that. And he still
:08:11. > :08:13.had opportunities. So I think with his game style, it went OK. No
:08:14. > :08:16.better than that. And he still had opportunities. So I think with his
:08:17. > :08:22.game style comedy obviously needs to play aggressively. Made a lot of
:08:23. > :08:25.errors when he was rallying from are staying in rallies and making
:08:26. > :08:31.unforced errors, that is was going to be costly against Djokovic. It
:08:32. > :08:35.was amazing in the second set, Federer raising himself, again,
:08:36. > :08:42.having raised himself already to new standards. And it doesn't get any
:08:43. > :08:49.easier. And he is trying to stay up with these guys, Djokovic, Nadal.
:08:50. > :08:55.The bottom line is, Roger must know this now. And nobody adores his
:08:56. > :09:00.tennis more than ideal. These guys are better than him now. Certainly
:09:01. > :09:04.Djokovic and Nadal, and Murray, you have to say. So what is he going to
:09:05. > :09:09.do in the next 18 months to stick around and make himself part of the
:09:10. > :09:13.deal? It is absolutely fascinating, but Djokovic is just data for bit
:09:14. > :09:22.better. I think he is playing better and the results speak for
:09:23. > :09:30.themselves. -- but Djokovic is just playing a bit better. As far as
:09:31. > :09:36.Federer is concerned, Novak wound him up a little bit in the fact he
:09:37. > :09:40.was saying that although Federer is still a great player, you doesn't
:09:41. > :09:46.move as well, you's not as fast as he was. You know him well. Is that
:09:47. > :09:50.right? I think that is probably right because he is 32 and it is not
:09:51. > :09:55.going to get any easier. But when you watch those rallies last night,
:09:56. > :09:58.he was the one dictating a lot of the play. Djokovic played
:09:59. > :10:02.fantastically and responded in the third set but if Federer keeps
:10:03. > :10:06.improving his game in terms of where he is at right now, I'm not sure he
:10:07. > :10:11.can get some of the levels he did four, five years ago, but there was
:10:12. > :10:20.of good tennis. He could still win big titles if he still plays. But if
:10:21. > :10:28.he plays more of the inconsistent stuff and makes the unforced errors,
:10:29. > :10:32.he won't do so well. At the age of 32, he is having to deal with things
:10:33. > :10:35.that ordinary mortal human beings have had to deal with and it takes
:10:36. > :10:40.the wind out of his sails. Watching him trying to cope with it, still
:10:41. > :10:44.bring his best game onto court, it is captivating. He was chipping and
:10:45. > :10:48.charging down the centre of the court last night! Watching Federer
:10:49. > :10:57.really have to think his way around is brilliant. Best-of-5 sets, grand
:10:58. > :11:04.slams... That is where it is going to get hard. But also, when you are
:11:05. > :11:08.32, how is your enthusiasm, your work ethic on the practice court?
:11:09. > :11:11.And his is first class so he knows he is putting in all the necessary
:11:12. > :11:15.work to give himself the opportunity of playing well and I think,
:11:16. > :11:20.irrespective of what happens for Federer at this tournament, he will
:11:21. > :11:24.go away and have a very productive off-season and he will want to hit
:11:25. > :11:28.the ground running in 2014 because he never really got any momentum
:11:29. > :11:32.this year, and that Israeli important. If he does have poor
:11:33. > :11:37.results and starts slipping further down the rankings, he will find that
:11:38. > :11:41.hard, but for me, I don't see that happening yet. He certainly has the
:11:42. > :11:47.crowd support. Yesterday it was amazing. We'll going to talk more
:11:48. > :11:55.about Djokovic is the week goes on but, of course, it is Rafa Nadal in
:11:56. > :12:03.the spotlight today. And he spoke to us about the problems with his knee.
:12:04. > :12:06.I had to decide to go more often to the net and play with more
:12:07. > :12:13.determination, play more inside the court, so... It is probably because
:12:14. > :12:19.of the injury I am playing more aggressively and in a different way
:12:20. > :12:22.than used to do it. And the knee is concerned particularly on the grass
:12:23. > :12:26.where the ball bounces lower. Is it also a worry for you here on the
:12:27. > :12:32.indoor courts? Or is it the nature of the grass that problems? It is
:12:33. > :12:39.still when it bounces lower for me... Today is a bit tougher.
:12:40. > :12:50.Because of the knee occurs it is not 100%. -- because it is not. But it
:12:51. > :12:57.was great when I was able to play with free movement for most of the
:12:58. > :13:05.season. That really is bad to hear the knee isn't 100% but he has had a
:13:06. > :13:10.great year in spite of it. But it could be this surface that worries
:13:11. > :13:19.the name or than others? Not everything is going to be 100%. --
:13:20. > :13:25.and that worries the knee more than others. I don't think we should view
:13:26. > :13:30.this as a massive surprise because if you speak to Andy about his back
:13:31. > :13:36.and he said, for 18 months it hasn't been perfect. I am sure Djokovic,
:13:37. > :13:40.Federer, they have had back issues and they are all going to have
:13:41. > :13:45.niggles. It is just how you manage it. It is amazing with what Nadal
:13:46. > :13:48.has achieved, how he still has the passion and enthusiasm, the
:13:49. > :13:55.motivation to keep trying to improve. He was talking there about
:13:56. > :14:02.coming forward and I would be surprised if he hit more than three
:14:03. > :14:07.volleys in the match. Staying inside the court? Yes, playing more inside
:14:08. > :14:13.the baseline and taking a few more risks, trying to enter the point. I
:14:14. > :14:20.look forward to seeing the chipping and charging. These two are unbeaten
:14:21. > :14:26.so a semifinal place beckons for them, in some ways, and Nadal, if he
:14:27. > :14:31.wins in two sets, he is automatically through. What is the
:14:32. > :14:36.advice to him when you look ahead, and this is their fourth meeting
:14:37. > :14:42.this year? What can you do? Where can you attack? Probably in the
:14:43. > :14:49.locker room! But here they have there own locker room! But Wawrinka
:14:50. > :14:54.is serving over 140 miles an-hour so he does have the weapons to attack
:14:55. > :14:57.Nadal. He has very, very strong ground strokes and I think if you
:14:58. > :15:01.are a right-handed player playing against Nadal, you have to have a
:15:02. > :15:06.strong backhand, because that is where he will go crosscourt into the
:15:07. > :15:09.backhand, Nadal. Wawrinka has a strong backhand and where he gets
:15:10. > :15:13.exploited is with his movement. When Nadal hits a good shot, he gets the
:15:14. > :15:16.first one back but if he is not quick enough back to the middle than
:15:17. > :15:21.the holes appear, and I think that is where we will see Nadal exploit
:15:22. > :15:30.the brink's lack of movement. Because his forehand has improved.
:15:31. > :15:38.-- exploit Wawrinka's lack of movement. We will keep an eye on
:15:39. > :15:43.stand. Thank you very much, Tim. If you want to contact us, you can. You
:15:44. > :15:51.can send us a tweet on the Facebook page or on Twitter using #bbctennis.
:15:52. > :16:00.We are ready for this one anti-wellhead to the commentary box.
:16:01. > :16:08.Andrew it is all yours. -- and Tim will head to the commentary box.
:16:09. > :16:11.Beautiful single-handed backhand. We'll have to be in great form for
:16:12. > :16:27.this match. -- he will have to. 28 years of age, he has had a
:16:28. > :16:29.high-ranking. Met Berdych in his first match, so full of beans after
:16:30. > :16:54.that one. He has an underestimated side on
:16:55. > :17:33.that side 138 miles an hour! Well dodged by
:17:34. > :17:40.one of the ball kids! And there it is. The backhand crosscourt
:17:41. > :17:51.finishing the game and a lovely settling start for the Swiss number
:17:52. > :17:56.two. You played with Greg Rusedski under the British banner, didn't
:17:57. > :18:02.you? At the end of season champs? Do we have to talk about that? We did
:18:03. > :18:06.once, yeah. I had qualified for the semis already, I hasten to add, when
:18:07. > :18:22.I lost in a pathetic performance! Rig did play well! -- Greg
:18:23. > :18:34.Rusedski. They are going to lay a clay court on the outfield at San
:18:35. > :18:37.Diego for Fabry. -- February. And it wouldn't be their favourite surface
:18:38. > :18:48.but it probably favours them more than us.
:18:49. > :19:58.I like that move. Undoubtedly something he would have thought
:19:59. > :20:06.about and talked through and thought through. If you see a second serve,
:20:07. > :20:08.whack it, is that it? Absolutely. It is just one point that shows his
:20:09. > :20:46.ambition. Spanish Davis Cup captain. A new
:20:47. > :20:50.appointment for the former world number one, Carlos Moya. The senior
:20:51. > :21:03.Majorcan on the Davis Cup outfit. Played a big part in the development
:21:04. > :21:08.of Nadal growing up. I mean, to look up to somebody like that who was at
:21:09. > :21:13.the top of the game... He was 15, 16, 17. To be able to talk,
:21:14. > :21:21.practice, glean advice. Valuable for Nadal.
:21:22. > :21:28.I think they ask Nadal when he was young whether you would like to have
:21:29. > :21:38.a career like Carlos Moya, who was number one at that -- who was near
:21:39. > :21:41.the top at that stage, and he said, no, because I think he wanted to do
:21:42. > :21:51.better than that! Rafa Nadal was playing against
:21:52. > :22:01.Ukraine in a world group play-off match this year. So a really big
:22:02. > :22:16.match. They got him out, with his coach and uncle, and he beat stack
:22:17. > :22:18.of ski. He won the first 12 games. 6-love. Never a bigger monster on
:22:19. > :22:36.clay than Rafa Nadal. I would say well done to Stakovski
:22:37. > :22:44.for getting four games! Back to this matchup. If you are a right-hander,
:22:45. > :22:48.I think if it is a two-handed backhand it is even better because
:22:49. > :22:50.when Nadal hits that high top spin, if you have one hand up above
:22:51. > :23:21.shoulder height, that is not easy. Well handled from Wawrinka as Nadal
:23:22. > :23:24.steps into that forehand return. Had to keep his eye on this ball, get
:23:25. > :23:37.the weight down and stay with it. Wawrinka doing well but very early
:23:38. > :24:26.stages here. That was heading in. It caught the
:24:27. > :24:31.top of the net and didn't help Nadal. That is why he is cross. When
:24:32. > :24:36.the doll comes at you, Tim, when you got that single-handed account, like
:24:37. > :24:40.Federer, like Wawrinka, presumably you have to slice, go deep and hit
:24:41. > :24:53.it as hard as possible but then he goes for that forehand. Yes, that is
:24:54. > :25:05.right. Carlos Moya said you, -- you cannot slice to him.
:25:06. > :25:13.Good hold. Second point was key for Wawrinka hanging in there.
:25:14. > :25:22.Let me just give you some news from the tennis world that yesterday
:25:23. > :25:27.Viktor Troicki, the Serbian player, former top 20, was banned until July
:25:28. > :25:30.for failing to provide a blood sample having been notified by a
:25:31. > :25:35.chaperone of his selection to provide one, and that was back in
:25:36. > :25:40.Monte Carlo in the spring. The initial ban was for 18 months but a
:25:41. > :25:44.court of arbitration of the sport tribunal said that his recollection
:25:45. > :25:52.was "coloured by his subsequent reconstruction of events" . And it
:25:53. > :25:57.is such a subjective interpretation. In other words, he
:25:58. > :26:03.didn't test positive but by failing to provide a sample or inadequate
:26:04. > :26:10.explanation, he has to suffer a band. It is 18 months, now it is 12
:26:11. > :26:22.and he will be back in July. It came down to the word of the player and
:26:23. > :26:27.the tester. Tim, your views on the fact that case? Well, the facts, I
:26:28. > :26:31.would like to know all the facts. But it seems like it was his word
:26:32. > :26:36.against the person doing the testing. But for me as an athlete, I
:26:37. > :26:42.know if I am asked to do a drugs test, whether it be during or blood,
:26:43. > :26:46.and I don't do it that day, I don't care what anyone says, I know I am
:26:47. > :26:50.in trouble, so for him to think that he was potentially going to be
:26:51. > :26:51.okayed to do the test tomorrow, it wouldn't have been my thinking, put
:26:52. > :27:19.it that way. -- going to be OK. He says the tested and clearly
:27:20. > :27:23.present him of the severe consequences he would have if he
:27:24. > :27:25.avoided that but a pro knows those consequences. And if he doesn't,
:27:26. > :27:57.that is also his fault. Great tennis from Wawrinka. And
:27:58. > :28:13.you've got to say after that point, tipped his hat, and say well played.
:28:14. > :28:19.Ten titles this season for Rafa Nadal, who came back after seven
:28:20. > :28:27.months off. His worst loss undoubtedly in this city. At
:28:28. > :28:50.Wimbledon losing to Steve D'Arcy of Belgium.
:28:51. > :29:02.Incidentally, Steve hasn't won a tall level match since then. Goes to
:29:03. > :29:47.show the depth, doesn't it? -- hasn't won a torn -- tour level.
:29:48. > :30:15.Not a particularly instantaneous challenge but the energy is there.
:30:16. > :30:25.I think in terms of this matchup, it is as good a time the Wawrinka to
:30:26. > :30:31.play Nadal as it could be. He has lost all 11 meetings. This is
:30:32. > :30:56.Nadal's least favourite surface. He has got to a tie-break four times
:30:57. > :31:02.in those 11 matches and lost all four of those. He has played a world
:31:03. > :31:07.number one on 14 occasions, who ever it may be and has lost all 14 of
:31:08. > :31:08.those. If you are looking at this from a betting point of view, you
:31:09. > :31:33.would be looking at Rafa. Those two forehands were kind of the
:31:34. > :31:34.right shot. I don't think he got into position and then maybe
:31:35. > :32:24.unforced errors. That is a pretty backhand. It has
:32:25. > :32:30.kept him in the game. Very well that point. Not an easy shot, low
:32:31. > :32:32.backhand over the high part of the net, down the line. Set up the smash
:32:33. > :33:37.that he put away well. Definitely been a big improvement on
:33:38. > :33:42.Wawrinka's served over the last 12 months.
:33:43. > :34:02.It is confidence. Great leg strength from Wawrinka. That was a bit
:34:03. > :34:07.rotten. It is a break of serve. Before we go any further, a big
:34:08. > :34:13.shout out to those from Great Britain, the wheelchair tennis
:34:14. > :34:36.Masters in California. Gordon Reid a winner in a pool match.
:34:37. > :34:44.The wheelchair players commit every bit as much as the able-bodied
:34:45. > :34:51.players. You have Magnus Norman, one of the best coaches in your corner.
:34:52. > :34:59.What would you say, if you could come out and speak to Wawrinka, what
:35:00. > :35:03.would he say to him? That last service game is the predicament the
:35:04. > :35:06.Wawrinka. He had the right game plan, but when you analyse what
:35:07. > :35:12.happened, he missed a forehand on the first point, a forehand on the
:35:13. > :35:15.second point. He played a good point on the third. He made another
:35:16. > :35:21.unforced error and then served an ace and a double fault. He made for
:35:22. > :35:25.unforced errors in the game. He had the right game plan, can be
:35:26. > :35:31.executed? That is basically the trouble of anyone playing Nadal.
:35:32. > :35:36.Such a narrow margin. You have to stay patient. But if you are to
:35:37. > :35:39.patient, you will lose the rally. You have two attack at some point,
:35:40. > :36:42.and that is a risk. You are kidding! What are you
:36:43. > :36:49.supposed to do with that? ! Lovely play from Wawrinka. And that was a
:36:50. > :36:57.proper piece of court speed from Nadal. Watch him take off and then
:36:58. > :37:01.watch the ball. Good effort from most people just to get the ball,
:37:02. > :37:11.but then get the racket behind it and get it across court, brilliant.
:37:12. > :37:21.You did not ever play him on clay did you? I did, briefly. Practice? I
:37:22. > :37:38.played him in the third round in Rome. It lasted about two hours.
:37:39. > :37:41.Third round? Had a toilet break, a couple of injury time outs. A shower
:37:42. > :38:26.and a meal! It a challenge, mentally as well the
:38:27. > :38:45.Wawrinka. Has really got to try and take his
:38:46. > :38:53.time. Keep a clear mind of what he is trying to do. But it is just not
:38:54. > :39:01.easy. It can end up feeling embarrassing.
:39:02. > :41:20.It can end up running away from you. It gets quicker in between points.
:41:21. > :41:26.Fantastic day. It is a tactic every right-hander has to use against
:41:27. > :41:53.Nadal. -- fantastic play. It is a rare thing for players in
:41:54. > :42:02.tennis for players to move through the rankings and end as number one.
:42:03. > :42:08.Only three players in history have come from outside the top three to
:42:09. > :42:12.get the number one spot back. These are the two players who could finish
:42:13. > :42:27.the end of the year as world number one.
:42:28. > :42:37.It is all possible, but it is in Nadal's hands. If he wins this match
:42:38. > :42:44.or another one this week, he will be world number one again at the end of
:42:45. > :42:49.the season. It has been an amazing comeback. Everyone was so
:42:50. > :42:55.fascinated. He chose clay to resurrect his career. Then to win
:42:56. > :43:02.ten of the 16 tournaments you play, it was very unlikely. I don't like
:43:03. > :43:10.it when he says that his knee is hurting again. I think he said it is
:43:11. > :43:15.not perfect. I hope we don't have to read too much into that. The reality
:43:16. > :43:20.is, all of these guys are going to have niggles. Andy's back isn't
:43:21. > :43:24.perfect, he had to have an operation. Hopefully that is getting
:43:25. > :45:10.better. But it is how he manages his knee.
:45:11. > :47:27.When you go into a Nadal forehand, you know you have got to go in with
:47:28. > :47:33.strength. Wawrinka was able to get that ball off the court, forced the
:47:34. > :48:18.error from Nadal. First break point to get back on level terms.
:48:19. > :48:29.He waited for that and he had it! It was the right shot. There is a sense
:48:30. > :48:33.in here that as that rally developed he was just looking to soak the
:48:34. > :48:49.pressure up and then turn it around. The backhand was the chance.
:48:50. > :49:18.Nadal was winding up on that forehand.
:49:19. > :49:36.That is his weaker side. These are the shots you have got to come up
:49:37. > :49:42.with if you are going to have an impact against Nadal. Early
:49:43. > :49:44.preparation. Total commitment. It was a point ending shot, one way or
:49:45. > :50:08.the other. We saw one of them from the other
:50:09. > :50:14.end, early in this set. Taking that second serve and nailing it. Not
:50:15. > :50:22.quite that time. Good play and good second serve from Nadal. Only 72
:50:23. > :51:15.miles an hour, but it was the direction that was useful.
:51:16. > :51:21.Nadal just flicking the ball up. Yes, right-handed. Does everything
:51:22. > :51:43.right handed apart from playing tennis.
:51:44. > :51:51.Why doesn't he play right-handed then? I think it goes back to uncle
:51:52. > :51:55.Toni when he was young. Wanted him to play left-handed, thought it
:51:56. > :52:03.would be advantageous. Thought his game would match up better against
:52:04. > :52:08.Federer's when he was six! We can debate the decision. He would have
:52:09. > :52:10.been really good if he was right-handed. I think it has worked
:52:11. > :52:28.out OK! Two break points, he had to face.
:52:29. > :54:29.Came through it. 136 miles an hour. He has made Nadal
:54:30. > :54:36.serve for this first set. Let's have a look at Wawrinka's year. He will
:54:37. > :54:40.finish for the first time in his career, that has included a gold
:54:41. > :54:46.medal in the doubles in Beijing, he will finish in the top ten. 24
:54:47. > :54:50.tournaments played. At the start of the year, the Australian Open, he
:54:51. > :54:57.lost to Djokovic in an absolute marathon. Five hours they were out
:54:58. > :55:06.there. But it gave him such a lot of belief. His Grand Slam year was
:55:07. > :55:10.tremendous. He lost to Nadal, but a semifinalist at the US Open where he
:55:11. > :55:16.lost to Djokovic again. It was a hearty match for him to get his
:55:17. > :55:23.teeth into and make his reputation again. I think it is about self
:55:24. > :55:27.belief or him. You pointed out the match in Australia when he played
:55:28. > :55:32.five hours. He has been a solid top 20 player for a number of years.
:55:33. > :55:36.When he looked at that match and the opportunities he had, he could have
:55:37. > :55:41.beaten Djokovic. From there it has been onwards and upwards. In the US
:55:42. > :55:48.Open, again he had chances against Djokovic. He has the opportunity of
:55:49. > :55:56.finishing as the Swiss number one. Not bad in federal's era. The US
:55:57. > :56:11.Open was over five sets and he beat Andy Murray in the semifinals.
:56:12. > :57:03.He must break Nadal's serve now, or the set has gone.
:57:04. > :57:17.Great start to the game the Wawrinka.
:57:18. > :57:24.He is probably able to handle those high-kicking, top spinning forehands
:57:25. > :57:33.slightly better than federal, isn't he?
:57:34. > :00:49.His backhand is going through the court. Even better than this hugely
:00:50. > :00:57.top spin forehand from Nadal. And that is the reward. On the two break
:00:58. > :01:22.points, Nadal has a time violation. He has got it! Back in the set! He
:01:23. > :01:38.breaks Nadal! And this is by far the best
:01:39. > :01:47.afternoon match we have had now because Wawrinka has come out here
:01:48. > :01:52.and he is happy to slug it out. And he believes, his reaction getting
:01:53. > :02:00.that break point Dr Martha Clokie -- getting that break point... Getting
:02:01. > :02:02.the returns. He now really has two get back to work on his own serve.
:02:03. > :03:14.No time to celebrate. Finish this game off now! And
:03:15. > :03:15.suddenly the pressure's right back on Nadal, who's serving for the
:03:16. > :03:35.set. What a game! Nadal powerless as
:03:36. > :03:40.Wawrinka serves into a 6-5 lead. And the point you were making was, if
:03:41. > :03:43.you got the momentum, keep it. Don't even for a moment take your foot off
:03:44. > :03:52.the gas because then it could be juice and then you are under threat.
:03:53. > :03:59.-- deuce. There was a let down from that. A love service game with a 137
:04:00. > :04:06.mile an hour serve on this last point and that fantastic lunging
:04:07. > :04:08.volley. Look at that. As well as strong technique, you needed if a
:04:09. > :04:16.bit of good fortune, but there are enough. As they say, you pay for the
:04:17. > :04:21.whole racket, might as well use it! That game will come as a great
:04:22. > :04:35.surprise to Nadal. In fact, the last two games.
:04:36. > :04:44.250,000 people plus watching tennis in London in the winter. Wonderful!
:04:45. > :04:47.2015, the last definite Championships here. What are you
:04:48. > :04:54.hearing about the possibility of it staying? Is it likely to move? I
:04:55. > :04:58.don't know. You've got to look at this event as a whole and it has
:04:59. > :05:05.been absolutely fantastic. We talked about the highest attended week
:05:06. > :05:11.tennis event in history. 17,500 every session. It's going to take a
:05:12. > :05:57.strong case can do move it. -- candidate.
:05:58. > :07:15.Nadal had 30-15 on his serve. Lost the points. Eight in a row.
:07:16. > :07:23.Three disappointing points as far as Wawrinka is concerned. His resolve
:07:24. > :07:36.tightens up. Could be hitting for a break here. They have played four in
:07:37. > :07:42.total. Won 11 matches, all 24 sets. Nadal.
:07:43. > :07:50.So, where we are now is the closest Wawrinka has ever come to winning a
:07:51. > :07:59.set. That is exciting. Well, two of the tie-breaks. One he lost 12-10 in
:08:00. > :08:11.Shanghai this year. I will take Wawrinka! I will get you
:08:12. > :08:22.a cup of tea from the free restaurant!
:08:23. > :08:31.You see, Wawrinka has to get the wind back in his sales here. --
:08:32. > :10:21.sails. UMPIRE: Mr Nadal is Charlie lunging
:10:22. > :10:32.the call. -- is challenging. The call stands. A bit of a donation
:10:33. > :11:19.there from Nadal. He had his own mini run going. Six points.
:11:20. > :11:43.Carlos Costa to the left as we look, in the middle now. Manager, a former
:11:44. > :11:44.player himself. Excellent top ten player on clay. He manages Rafa's
:11:45. > :12:11.affairs. He's not a hard sell. But he is a one-man brand, as all
:12:12. > :12:26.the top players are. He's got a watch deal that would
:12:27. > :12:31.make your eyes water! He has been wearing it this week! Incredible!
:12:32. > :12:46.Such is his iconic status. This is the one tournament he has never won.
:12:47. > :12:54.Nadal with a towel on both sides at his end of the court here. Really
:12:55. > :12:57.perspiring heavily. It is a hot arena this year. It feels hotter and
:12:58. > :13:09.the tennis is probably a bit livelier as a result.
:13:10. > :14:36.One of the features of Nadal against Ferrer in the opening round was he
:14:37. > :14:41.gave no possibility for Ferrer to attack. That ball dumped in the
:14:42. > :14:44.middle of the court, that is why Nadal 's cross. It is a short ball.
:14:45. > :14:51.It is just sitting there and asking to be, really. And now Wawrinka
:14:52. > :14:53.knows if he can pick up one of these next two points Nadal's serve, he
:14:54. > :15:37.could have the set. What a forehand! The link from
:15:38. > :15:43.Nadal. That ball was out until the moment it landed! Would love to know
:15:44. > :15:46.what the revolutions were on! And immense forehand in the middle of
:15:47. > :16:35.that rally. -- were on that! Klara Oh! What defence from Nadal! How
:16:36. > :16:55.does he do that?! You saw him slice and you knew that
:16:56. > :17:01.Wawrinka was going to be able to attack. And he did, perfectly!
:17:02. > :17:05.Somehow Nadal gets it over his head. You've got to say, there was an
:17:06. > :17:34.element of luck in that shot from Nadal. But he meant it.
:17:35. > :17:41.Oh! That is so unlucky and you can understand why Wawrinka is going a
:17:42. > :17:47.bit nutty there! He smashed his racket, it is over there, it is
:17:48. > :17:52.crumpled! So disappointed! And I'm afraid he will have to have a
:17:53. > :17:58.warning. And he gets one. It is a code violation. But you have
:17:59. > :18:04.sympathy for him. Just tumbled and it was a volley that he should have
:18:05. > :18:13.had. Just over an hour's interesting tennis. Nadal has the set.
:18:14. > :18:18.SUE BARKER: Wow! What a fascinating set of tennis. It looked like it was
:18:19. > :18:22.going Rafa's way and then stand got back in it. What a missed
:18:23. > :18:28.opportunity! So Rafa has taken the opening set. This is how the group
:18:29. > :18:34.stands, with Rafa in the driving seat in that match. Two unbeaten
:18:35. > :18:38.players going into tonight. And that is Berdych against Ferrer, and you
:18:39. > :18:44.can follow that on the BBC sports website. And then tomorrow, we will
:18:45. > :18:48.see Roger Federer against Richard Gasquet. Juan Martin Del Potro and
:18:49. > :18:52.Novak Djokovic, the two unbeaten players in their group, both coming
:18:53. > :18:56.through in three sets. And Roger Federer can still keep his hopes
:18:57. > :19:01.alive of getting through to the semifinal against Richard Gasquet.
:19:02. > :19:05.That is live tomorrow at 2pm on BBC Two. And we will be seeing Roger
:19:06. > :19:10.Federer later on this afternoon as he receives three awards out on
:19:11. > :19:23.court today. The Humanitarian Of The Year Award, The Sportsman Award and
:19:24. > :19:29.the Fan Favourite Award. What a match they are being treated to this
:19:30. > :19:33.afternoon. Rafa has set up one place away from the semifinal, ensuring he
:19:34. > :19:40.will end the year as the world number one. But he has his work cut
:19:41. > :19:43.out. How can stand react after that missed opportunity in the
:19:44. > :19:50.tie-break? -- how can Stanislav react?
:19:51. > :19:59.ANDREW CASTLE: Thank you, Sue. That always came back and hit him in the
:20:00. > :20:06.head. And having hit the umpire's chair, he threw it over there. The
:20:07. > :20:11.ballgirl went to pick the racket at Wawrinka and he asked for it back. I
:20:12. > :20:20.can't believe... ! I mean, that was a put away volley. He crashed the
:20:21. > :20:23.approach shot and then it was like somebody tripped him when he was
:20:24. > :20:39.coming into the box. I was going to shout" penalty"! But there it is. On
:20:40. > :20:45.the big screen. There you go. I have build the's tea. Strong, one sugar.
:20:46. > :20:53.I'm just looking to see where the staff are! To play a point like that
:20:54. > :20:57.from Wawrinka, and he played such a good set. He fought and then broke
:20:58. > :21:02.back. Just in the tie-break... And then something like that happens on
:21:03. > :21:10.set point. You add into the equation that is the 25th set he has played
:21:11. > :23:04.and never won one. You just think, is this meant to be?!
:23:05. > :23:14.Well, Wawrinka reacted well. Disappointment from the first set
:23:15. > :23:17.and so close to winning his first set. Down quickly in this game but
:23:18. > :23:25.he has put himself in position again. Very composed. It's what you
:23:26. > :23:30.learn as you get older. And the average age of the top 200 in the
:23:31. > :23:32.world is getting older. It is about understanding your game. It is not
:23:33. > :25:27.just physical. What are they talking about? I think
:25:28. > :25:29.Wawrinka might have been complaining about Uncle Tony! A few smoke
:25:30. > :25:39.signals. UMPIRE: Mr Nadal is challenging the
:25:40. > :27:36.call. Let's just listen in here. Normally
:27:37. > :27:45.he is not like this. You think it is normal? No, OK. Well, if they are
:27:46. > :27:51.talking about Nadal's coach, Tony, his uncle, Carlos was just making
:27:52. > :27:59.the point that today it is OK. Other days it is worse. Is that what they
:28:00. > :28:07.were on about? I think in actual fact, Carlos was saying today is not
:28:08. > :28:13.normal. Uncle Tony is talking too much. More than normal. And Wawrinka
:28:14. > :28:27.is aware of it. He has mentioned it. But the umpire has done nothing.
:28:28. > :28:35.So, what difference can coach make at the side of the court? I mean,
:28:36. > :28:41.practically speaking, what is he going to say? Come in a little bit?
:28:42. > :28:44.Slice to the backhand? What you want. At night? What are they going
:28:45. > :28:52.to say that makes a difference, do you think? -- what do you want for
:28:53. > :28:57.dinner tonight? Whether it is on the serve, the poor positioning, but the
:28:58. > :29:05.bottom line is, whatever it is, it shouldn't be happening.
:29:06. > :29:14.On the women's tour, they can request that their coaches, on once
:29:15. > :29:18.a set, and actually sit there on court and have a few words. Would
:29:19. > :29:26.you favour that in the men's game? No. Why is that? Because it is
:29:27. > :29:35.one-on-one combat. You have to work it out for yourself. But in
:29:36. > :29:38.football... At that is football. You make a substitute, you bring on a
:29:39. > :29:46.player if you are playing badly. Nothing tennis.
:29:47. > :30:18.And then Wawrinka goes up the other end and has a chat with his coach!
:30:19. > :30:24.This is the Nadal first-served direction in this match. Going into
:30:25. > :30:29.the Wawrinka forehand, really tucking him up on the side, whereas
:30:30. > :30:36.it is pretty much 50-50 on the other side. Strange for a lefty, though,
:30:37. > :30:52.to be serving that much down the middle.
:30:53. > :31:31.Possibly respecting it. I don't think he fears anything.
:31:32. > :31:41.That is interesting. We have just seen a graphic saying Nadal was
:31:42. > :31:45.serving most of the time to the forehand in that rocks. When he goes
:31:46. > :32:42.to that Arcand, that is what he can do. -- backhand.
:32:43. > :32:52.Wawrinka was off after that one. He did not hang about admiring the
:32:53. > :33:43.chip, he was anticipating for Nadal volley.
:33:44. > :33:52.It is the right place. Waited for his opportunity and then went for
:33:53. > :34:17.it. Has got to make one of those opportunities count.
:34:18. > :34:26.The temptation to go for it too much against Nadal is there? He has to,
:34:27. > :34:29.but it is a balance. When you think about these break point
:34:30. > :34:35.opportunities, you have what to go for it.
:34:36. > :34:47.Magnificent. From the moment he has a chance to come forward, just a few
:34:48. > :35:12.feet, into the corner and he takes it. Quick thinking.
:35:13. > :35:27.Lots of ways to get in touch with us.
:35:28. > :35:36.Tim Henman, do you think Stan will win a grand slam? If yes, which one
:35:37. > :35:43.will he have the best chance of winning? I don't think he will win a
:35:44. > :35:47.Grand Slam. He is a fantastic way, but I look at his generation and the
:35:48. > :35:53.players around him, there are too many good players. Stuart says, does
:35:54. > :36:01.a heavier racket favour more top-spin? Not necessarily, it might
:36:02. > :36:06.mean a heavier weight of shot, but Nadal uses a light racket. The
:36:07. > :36:22.weight is distributed in the head that generates the racket head
:36:23. > :36:26.speed, that generates the top-spin. The Japanese player was only using a
:36:27. > :36:37.racket of 289 grams. That seems very light? I would use God -- golf clubs
:36:38. > :36:44.if I can. You like heavy rackets? My racket was about 368, strong. It
:36:45. > :36:49.wasn't heavy, it was distributed evenly. Andy Murray used to use a
:36:50. > :36:55.heavy racket. About 400 grams. I think it has got lighter these days.
:36:56. > :37:01.Ivan Lendl used the biggest of all. You could have chopped trees down
:37:02. > :37:08.with that. It is about what's works the U. -- it is about what works for
:37:09. > :37:42.you. Not another one. He did not trip
:37:43. > :37:49.over on this one, but that was a big miss. If you could speak to
:37:50. > :37:55.Wawrinka, you would say to him, you have got the right game plan, not
:37:56. > :39:04.playing badly. Just got to find that extra 5% to win that type of point.
:39:05. > :40:16.It is a break of serve. Wawrinka has been here before in the first set.
:40:17. > :40:25.He fought back valiantly but wasn't able to win it and break Nadal,
:40:26. > :43:54.until the tie-breaker. Wawrinka might not yet be out of it.
:43:55. > :44:03.Credit to Wawrinka. He won't go away. He is hanging on in there.
:44:04. > :44:08.Nadal did not challenge. Why didn't he challenge that? That is unusual
:44:09. > :46:11.lack of concentration from rapper. It would have been 40-30. -- Rafa.
:46:12. > :46:22.After a strange non-challenge at 30-30 from Nadal, he had the ball
:46:23. > :46:28.down the side down the line. He did not challenge it. He has had to save
:46:29. > :46:29.a break point. Now he is racing towards this year end, number one
:46:30. > :46:48.ranking. Just confirmation that Djokovic is
:46:49. > :46:54.running out of time as far as his chances are concerned. Simple as
:46:55. > :47:04.that. Rafael Nadal must not win another match this week, and he is
:47:05. > :47:09.about to. We understand Andy Murray is recovering well. That is good
:47:10. > :47:12.news. Roger Federer down at number seven with the man we are watching
:47:13. > :51:12.here, at number eight. this has been the pattern so many
:51:13. > :51:21.times. He has earned the opportunity to go for it. Great return, blocked
:51:22. > :51:23.it. Their defensive reply from Nadal gave him the opportunity on the
:51:24. > :51:49.forehand. He has had his chances. This time he was able to get the
:51:50. > :51:56.Spaniard off-balance at the back of the court. An achievement itself!
:51:57. > :52:31.Half a chance for the Swiss player. Size that attacked up beautifully.
:52:32. > :52:39.He'd picked at Nadal's forehand well. Nadal had time to go anywhere.
:52:40. > :53:14.Wawrinka responded with strength. Two more break point opportunities.
:53:15. > :53:30.Not only does he not trip over, he gets the net cord his way. He climbs
:53:31. > :53:35.back into the set. Well done. That was a measured attack. He has been
:53:36. > :53:39.an absolute force this year, so much different than in previous years.
:53:40. > :53:45.Much more likely to see him coming in. He has had a lot of
:53:46. > :53:52.opportunity, half chances that he had not been able to convert. This
:53:53. > :53:57.time he moves forward, a little bit of help from the net cord, but I
:53:58. > :54:02.still think it would have been a winner.
:54:03. > :54:07.Karen says, who is the most likely winner to win several Grand Slams in
:54:08. > :54:24.the next few years? There has been a lot of talk about Dimitrov. Federer,
:54:25. > :54:27.Nadal, Djokovic, they will not play for ever. There has to be the next
:54:28. > :54:49.generation coming through. We need the next generation coming
:54:50. > :54:54.through. We have been so spoiled with the stars we have had in the
:54:55. > :55:01.last decade. Does del Potro have a good chance to win this tournament?
:55:02. > :55:05.Yes is the answer to this question. He has beaten gas get already. He
:55:06. > :55:11.now has to play Djokovic and Federer. He will play Federer
:55:12. > :55:23.tomorrow. He beat him in Switzerland two weeks ago.
:55:24. > :56:47.Djokovic against del Potro tomorrow, I beg your pardon.
:56:48. > :56:54.Wawrinka was down and out a few games ago. Now he is right back in
:56:55. > :57:20.it. Tomorrow afternoon it is Federer
:57:21. > :57:34.against Gasquet. In the evening it is Djokovic against del Potro.
:57:35. > :57:51.Tonight it is David Ferrer against Thomas Berdych. Just won three games
:57:52. > :57:59.in a row and he changes his racket. It does seem strange, doesn't it? I
:58:00. > :58:01.could understand if it was a ball change. As far as I am aware, still
:58:02. > :58:37.got four more games with these ones. Nadal got a warning earlier on, only
:58:38. > :59:50.25 seconds between points. That is a shot you don't see at your
:59:51. > :59:57.local courts too often. How would you describe it? A back to the
:59:58. > :00:50.nets, round arm... An hour and 44 minutes after a long
:00:51. > :01:01.season. Is someone going to fatigue? It is becoming arduous, isn't it?
:01:02. > :01:09.Concentration from Nadal. He has lost three games in a row. A few
:01:10. > :02:43.more unforced error is from Rafa. This is a big point right now.
:02:44. > :02:50.Clenched fist from that dilemma as he hangs on in there. Pushed, pulled
:02:51. > :02:58.and tested on his own serve by Wawrinka. Can't really train spirit
:02:59. > :03:01.into a player, can you? When you play something like Nadal, you are
:03:02. > :03:08.playing the willpower as well as the shot. He has to be right up there,
:03:09. > :03:12.doesn't he, with the likes of Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe. The strength
:03:13. > :03:20.of character comes through. Who would be your group, your
:03:21. > :03:26.generation? Well, in a different sort of manner it was Pete Sampras,
:03:27. > :03:29.really. It was his relentless belief in his game and his capabilities.
:03:30. > :03:36.When he was hitting those second serves... Even when he missed them,
:03:37. > :03:42.which he did, still to stand up there and go for the corner at 115
:03:43. > :03:46.miles an hour on big points. He never let anything distract him from
:03:47. > :03:53.his mission, and that is why he will go down as one of the greats of all
:03:54. > :03:59.time. Rafa Nadal has 13 grand slam Championships to his name, two this
:04:00. > :04:03.year. The US Open, the French Open. He has only played it nine times!
:04:04. > :04:08.One of the great sporting records! But surely more to come from Nadal,
:04:09. > :04:10.who is just itching to get a break of serve hip. And close this match
:04:11. > :05:53.out. -- a break of serve here. This is not an easy shot when you
:05:54. > :05:55.are down six - five, 6-7. Not quite up to the net reverse flip. But it
:05:56. > :06:21.wasn't far off. Ooh, this is uncharacteristic, isn't
:06:22. > :07:32.it? Oh! Nailed the point! That was just
:07:33. > :07:41.a slap on the baseline. Interesting to see the pace of that forehand at?
:07:42. > :07:49.-- forehand! Absolutely. An absolute rocket. Wawrinka really up here. Was
:07:50. > :07:54.4-1 down in this set and is right back in it. Looking to pulverise
:07:55. > :08:14.some second serves, possibly. Rafa talked about how he was looking
:08:15. > :08:18.to play a bit more aggressively and looking to get into the net is a bit
:08:19. > :08:22.more, and at this stage of the match, he has definitely covered
:08:23. > :08:28.some court and might be looking to shorten the rally is a bit. -- the
:08:29. > :08:45.rallies. In full flow, what a sight! We don't
:08:46. > :08:48.really see him at the net that often but you only have to look at that
:08:49. > :09:05.volley, you have to look at his doubles record, and he can volley.
:09:06. > :09:53.This is a massive game from Nadal. He's pushing himself here.
:09:54. > :10:07.Gasquet or Wawrinka best for you? I will take Stanislav's. It is a wider
:10:08. > :10:25.swing. Gasquet gets pulled wide a bit more than Wawrinka.
:10:26. > :10:39.They are just pushing the ball! What a strike! All it does is keeping in
:10:40. > :10:45.the game but just enjoy it. Some people don't serve that hard! Let
:10:46. > :10:51.alone hit backhands! 95 miles an hour. A backhand winner. Off
:10:52. > :11:08.Nadal's forehand. Clinical finish! First-served. And
:11:09. > :11:17.they whipped forehand. 6-5, Nadal. -- and a whipped forehand. So, they
:11:18. > :11:25.get these rackets strung up, all of them, everyday, or some players do.
:11:26. > :11:30.A lot of the players, and it started with Ivan Lendl, they change every
:11:31. > :11:34.ball change, so you are bringing out the new string when you have got new
:11:35. > :11:38.balls when they are going to play the same way, so in a three-set
:11:39. > :11:40.match you will have one to warm up within the morning and then five new
:11:41. > :11:53.ones for a three-set match. That is one of the sites, isn't it?
:11:54. > :12:00.And one of the great comebacks, really, after seven months out. --
:12:01. > :12:05.one of the sights. It was virtually impossible to see whether he would
:12:06. > :12:12.come back at all, Nadal. And he has come back, won ten tournaments he
:12:13. > :12:16.has played in. And we had Serena coming back in the game, Monica
:12:17. > :12:21.Seles after she was stabbed, attacked in Hamburg. These are all
:12:22. > :12:31.great sporting comebacks. Agassi? Here's another we should add. From
:12:32. > :12:36.143 back to the world number one! Or evenness of itch wasn't even a
:12:37. > :12:51.comeback. He wasn't even seeded but one it as a wildcard. -- Ivanisevic.
:12:52. > :12:53.What year was that? I can't even remember! That was a semifinal
:12:54. > :14:28.again, was it, Tim? Delicate shot. It was a difficult
:14:29. > :14:29.question to answer, wasn't it? Came off the strings entirely. Doesn't
:14:30. > :14:35.matter. Would like to see another tie-break
:14:36. > :14:49.here. Danger signals now. That was long.
:14:50. > :16:18.Approaching two hours of play. Oh! That was gutsy from Wawrinka and
:16:19. > :16:24.he is feeling that! Every stroke of that, stretching the sinews! Both
:16:25. > :16:33.men soaked with the evidence of their efforts. The final shot in
:16:34. > :16:40.that one was an error. This point to take us to a tie-break. This point
:16:41. > :16:45.for double or nothing on the tea. Well, you owe me a cup of tea,
:16:46. > :16:58.whatever! And that is the tie-break. Who are you having? Stan! OK,
:16:59. > :17:05.well... I'll put another cup of tea on it. 25 sets, they have played,
:17:06. > :17:11.these two, and Wawrinka has never won one single set. They have played
:17:12. > :17:16.11 matches. Stan has never won one of them. He has lost the world
:17:17. > :17:25.number one, whoever that may be, on 14 occasions. So he's playing
:17:26. > :17:28.against a bit of history here. If Nadal wins this tie-breaker, you
:17:29. > :17:45.will end the year as world number one. -- he will.
:17:46. > :18:09.Wow! That's a lot of forehand, it is a whack! Mum and dad. Of Nadal. That
:18:10. > :18:40.footwork, off forehand, so sure. Top spin taking it out of court.
:18:41. > :18:49.He's not going to miss that forehand. It's going to hit him even
:18:50. > :18:53.if it comes from outer space. I'm not convinced that came off the
:18:54. > :18:55.middle of Nadal's racket but it was certainly an effective return. Gets
:18:56. > :19:20.the early mini-break. Well, that backhand return was
:19:21. > :19:25.another. It wrapped itself around the frame a bit. And this tie-break
:19:26. > :19:38.is a drag for Wawrinka. Well, we could say he has made 33
:19:39. > :19:48.unforced errors but he's trying to make something happen. Depends to's
:19:49. > :20:11.counting. -- depends who is counting. 43. That is a lot.
:20:12. > :21:04.Certainly didn't take much there down the line.
:21:05. > :21:23.Oh! Toogood! -- too good! Sustained applause at the O2 for that. Just
:21:24. > :21:29.stepped in about a foot or so. Up on the baseline. To cater for bit more
:21:30. > :21:35.time away from Wawrinka. -- took a bit more time. Wawrinka needs both
:21:36. > :23:03.of these points on serve. Great server. The backhand down the
:23:04. > :23:08.line he hit when he was 3-0 down was crucial. Nadal has failed to
:23:09. > :23:11.challenge that and it is out. That is the second time this has happened
:23:12. > :23:45.on a big point. Sewing grossed, is he, in the task? -- so engrossed?
:23:46. > :23:56.That was a great forehand! Both forehand! From Stan! The first one
:23:57. > :23:59.really caught Nadal by surprise. Going, as it did, to the forehand
:24:00. > :24:14.side with the strength, and then... Sort of a dead ball. He had to make
:24:15. > :24:19.all the pace on this, up through the legs, the rotation... And the racket
:24:20. > :24:23.swing. Look at the finish across the body.
:24:24. > :24:45.Four points in a row, two against the Nadal serve. Now Wawrinka has
:24:46. > :25:51.the set on his racket. 139 mile an hour first-served after
:25:52. > :26:10.two hours and ten minutes. Still firing them down.
:26:11. > :26:18.This time he finds his mark. Nadal has failed to challenge a couple of
:26:19. > :27:13.times this set. He leaves that one. So it is set point. Wawrinka.
:27:14. > :27:27.Textbook. First serve in, safe one out wide. Massive serve.
:27:28. > :27:33.Just a tidal wave body serve. Just looking to get that forehand into
:27:34. > :27:44.play and move forward on these courts.
:27:45. > :28:06.And atmosphere to rival last night with Djokovic and Federer, as Nadal
:28:07. > :29:06.closes in on his year-end world number one ranking.
:29:07. > :29:17.That's it! Nadal will in 2013 as the world number one! That is what the
:29:18. > :29:18.celebration is about! As well as the match! Just under two and a quarter
:29:19. > :29:44.hours. What a year for this man! Warm appreciation here from the
:29:45. > :29:48.capacity afternoon crowd at the O2 for Stan Wawrinka, who played his
:29:49. > :29:52.part, had a set point snatched away with a forehand and an overhead
:29:53. > :29:59.winner from Nadal. What a powerhouse! What a powerhouse the
:30:00. > :30:04.Spaniard is. He is so difficult to beat. All this year, so obstinate.
:30:05. > :30:07.He is yet to win this tournament but the celebrations at the end were
:30:08. > :30:16.really about the whole year. Not just about this match.
:30:17. > :30:23.Well, tennis is lucky to have this group of four at the very top. Andy
:30:24. > :30:28.Murray out at the moment. Federer trying to stay with the younger men.
:30:29. > :30:32.Djokovic, and then, of course, Rafa Nadal at the very top of the tree. A
:30:33. > :30:35.stunning performance. There were errors at times but when it came
:30:36. > :30:42.right down to it, you found the right place. Experience, physical
:30:43. > :30:46.power... And just a forehand that is so breathtaking, you can never take
:30:47. > :30:53.your eyes off it. It is a thing of beauty to watch. Lots of top spin.
:30:54. > :30:58.And showing a willingness to come to the net quite a lot as well. Two
:30:59. > :31:02.straight sets victory here and he will be going through to the
:31:03. > :31:07.semifinals later on. And later, the two guys who lost in this particular
:31:08. > :31:14.group will be playing. Tomas Berdych against David Ferrer. And it all
:31:15. > :31:16.leads to the semifinals next Sunday and then the finals next Monday
:31:17. > :31:42.evening. We will be with you for that on BBC
:31:43. > :31:51.Three at 7:30pm. Who would say Nadal is not going to be there. Look at
:31:52. > :31:54.the smile on his face. Unbelievable. He has had just the most amazing
:31:55. > :32:08.year. Lots of unforced errors from
:32:09. > :32:14.Wawrinka. But he was trying to make something happen, and he very nearly
:32:15. > :32:18.did. Set point in the second set after being a break down. A great
:32:19. > :32:27.year for him as well. He could still make the semifinals. Lovely to see a
:32:28. > :32:33.smiling Rafael Nadal. And everybody at the O2 Arena is staying around
:32:34. > :32:40.for the presentations and Roger Federer as well. But now, it is a
:32:41. > :32:47.great afternoon's job. Rafa, an amazing win. You have
:32:48. > :32:51.qualified for the semifinals. Perhaps even more important, you
:32:52. > :32:56.have clinched the ATP World Tour Finals one ranking this year.
:32:57. > :33:07.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE three years ago you did it, it has
:33:08. > :33:12.taken you another three years to get back to the top? Thank you very
:33:13. > :33:20.much. A lot of emotions are there. It is a perfect scenario to be
:33:21. > :33:26.finally the number one in this fantastic stadium in front of this
:33:27. > :33:31.amazing crowd. Thank you for making me feel like this. The match was
:33:32. > :33:41.very hard, Stan played very aggressive. He had chances. I was
:33:42. > :33:46.lacking for a few moments in the last set. I am happy to be through.
:33:47. > :33:52.It is great, after missing this tournament last year, it is great to
:33:53. > :34:01.come back this year. Your team were very emotional as well. The team is
:34:02. > :34:05.everything for me. Without them I know I would not have the chance to
:34:06. > :34:10.be back where I am today. Being number one at the end of the season
:34:11. > :34:16.is something really difficult. Such unbelievable competitors. Without
:34:17. > :34:19.the team behind me, it is impossible to do something like this,
:34:20. > :34:28.especially after what happened last year. Well done to them, over there
:34:29. > :34:33.as you say. And finally, you must have a bit of sympathy, Stan came
:34:34. > :34:37.out and probably played the best match he has ever played against
:34:38. > :34:43.you, yet you still manage to beat him? It was a really hard match.
:34:44. > :34:47.Against him in Shanghai, it was very emotional. He is a player who is
:34:48. > :34:54.having the best season of his career. He is playing very big
:34:55. > :35:01.serves. To win against him is a big challenge. I am happy for that. I
:35:02. > :35:07.wish him the best of luck. Once again, congratulations. The ATP year
:35:08. > :35:17.ends number one, Rafael Nadal. STUDIO: What a lovely guy. This is
:35:18. > :35:37.how the group stands at the moment. Stan still has a chance of getting
:35:38. > :35:55.through to the semifinal. Djokovic is just the head on game
:35:56. > :35:59.difference against del Potro. The match we will be following is Roger
:36:00. > :36:21.Federer up against Richard Gasquet. Fedor will be receiving three ATP
:36:22. > :36:28.awards on this Court in a few minutes. We will be staying with
:36:29. > :36:33.that. -- Federer. It was up and down tennis, a few unforced error is,
:36:34. > :36:40.what a battle? Incredible. You think of indoor tennis, you think of quick
:36:41. > :36:45.points, serve and volley. So many times when I watch Rafa, I will be
:36:46. > :36:50.in the middle of a point, and you think he cannot win it. He is so far
:36:51. > :36:57.behind the baseline, out wide. Time and time again he comes up with
:36:58. > :37:03.these shots that are incredible. He has been doing it for the last ten
:37:04. > :37:09.years, he can't be relying on luck. He is such a worthy number one. On
:37:10. > :37:16.the back of last year and the injuries he had, to come back and
:37:17. > :37:20.win, it is fantastic. His English has got better over the years, but
:37:21. > :37:24.he is so humble and a great champion. Stan played his part. He
:37:25. > :37:35.must be disappointed because he was so close in both sets? Tie-break, if
:37:36. > :37:38.he cannot win a tie-break, he cannot win a set. All you can do is go out
:37:39. > :37:45.and play to your strengths and he did that. He should hold his head up
:37:46. > :37:51.high. Or him, at his age to have a career-high is fantastic. Who ever
:37:52. > :37:55.wins the most Grand Slams in a year, most people would say, because
:37:56. > :38:00.they are the pinnacle of our sport, you want them to be at the top of
:38:01. > :38:07.the rankings and that has been the case with Nadal. The battle they
:38:08. > :38:11.have at the US, Djokovic and Nadal, the US Open final was the key match.
:38:12. > :38:17.We could have been without Nadal now. He has come back. I did not
:38:18. > :38:21.realise how much it meant to him until the end when he was leaping
:38:22. > :38:27.around and when he was signing the camera. Perhaps I underestimated
:38:28. > :38:32.that. Easy for us to take it for granted that he will win two
:38:33. > :38:38.matches. 12 months ago, he was not here, he was not even hitting tennis
:38:39. > :38:42.balls, he was doing rehab trying to get his knee right. No wonder it
:38:43. > :38:48.feels even sweeter? It is incredible. There must have been so
:38:49. > :38:54.many doubts for him, his family and his team. When we were speculating,
:38:55. > :39:02.we did not know what was going to happen. To see him back on top and
:39:03. > :39:06.dominating has been fantastic. The presentation is going to take
:39:07. > :39:16.place. This is the ninth time Roger will
:39:17. > :39:29.win the Stefan Edberg award, and also the other two awards.
:39:30. > :39:43.How about your biggest round of applause, his 27th award since 2003.
:39:44. > :40:31.The incomparable, Roger Federer! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
:40:32. > :40:44.Roger Federer is the winner of the 2013 ATP Tour fan's favourite award
:40:45. > :40:52.for the 11th successive year. Voted for by the fans, it is a moment to
:40:53. > :41:08.savour. Congratulations, Roger. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
:41:09. > :41:51.# Today this will, the greatest day of our lives.
:41:52. > :42:00.Remarkably, your 27th award since 2003. I know that means a lot to you
:42:01. > :42:09.because of what Stefan Edberg worked meant to you as a competitor. It was
:42:10. > :42:13.very special, always. Stefan Edberg was my hero growing up and I always
:42:14. > :42:18.admired his sportsmanship. So to follow in his footsteps and
:42:19. > :42:24.hopefully be a good role model for future players is very important to
:42:25. > :42:29.me. I always try to play fair. You have to be tough out there, it is a
:42:30. > :42:36.tough sport, but I love the command -- camaraderie we have going with
:42:37. > :42:41.all of the players. It is a great award to win and I thank all of the
:42:42. > :42:47.players who have voted for me. That is an interesting point about this.
:42:48. > :42:52.The three awards are all voted on in different ways. The sportsmanship
:42:53. > :42:57.award is voted on by your peers, the humanitarian award is voted on by
:42:58. > :43:04.the ATP staff and the fan's favourite award is voted upon by
:43:05. > :43:12.people like yourselves. And this is the 11th year, so that
:43:13. > :43:17.spans two generations. In this day and age with social media and
:43:18. > :43:21.peoples opinions being heard, but the 11th time, you have been voted
:43:22. > :43:28.the favourite player on the ATP were talk, how special is that? It is a
:43:29. > :43:33.bit overwhelming. I have been in the game for a long, long time so that
:43:34. > :43:38.as may be helped me gain a lot of support around the world. I am very
:43:39. > :43:42.thankful to all you guys always showing up to the stadiums, the
:43:43. > :43:46.ovation I get walking onto the court when I am being presented is
:43:47. > :43:51.beautiful. I feel like I am playing at home almost everywhere I go. That
:43:52. > :43:58.is what keeps me going, keeps me playing and working very hard. I
:43:59. > :44:01.cannot thank everybody who has voted for me enough and all of the support
:44:02. > :44:11.you have given me over the years. I am however great, so thank you. -- I
:44:12. > :44:17.am for ever grateful. The third awards, honouring that,
:44:18. > :44:25.the humanitarian work. I know what he means to you and what your thrill
:44:26. > :44:29.and proper work means to you. How valuable is that, and update is
:44:30. > :44:33.where you are at with the foundation? It is something very
:44:34. > :44:37.personal on so many levels. It is not something I thought I could ever
:44:38. > :44:43.do. When I was a little boy I was thinking about playing tennis. The
:44:44. > :44:48.ATP Tour was my dream. And then I quickly realise that because we have
:44:49. > :44:56.great leaders in our sport who have done great work like flash and Andre
:44:57. > :45:01.Agassi, that inspired me as well. Today we are celebrating the 10-year
:45:02. > :45:05.anniversary of the foundation. I am excited to do more things in the
:45:06. > :45:12.future. We have touched the lives of 50,000 kids so far and we have an
:45:13. > :45:19.ambitious goal to touch 1 million lives by 2018. So this award gives
:45:20. > :45:24.me a lot of motivation and inspiration to go forward and push
:45:25. > :45:30.and learn more about it. It is a great honour for me to receive this
:45:31. > :45:34.award for the second time. Congratulation on behalf of the
:45:35. > :45:40.fans, the ATP staff, the players and thank you for everything you have
:45:41. > :45:49.done and continue to do for the sport. Roger Federer's 27th award
:45:50. > :45:53.since 2003. STUDIO: Talking of humble
:45:54. > :46:00.champions, there is another. Talking about the foundation he started in
:46:01. > :46:06.2003. Supports children in Africa and in Switzerland. He is very much
:46:07. > :46:12.involved in that and travels to those countries to see the work
:46:13. > :46:19.done. And also the fan's favourite. 11 time he has won it. He got 56% of
:46:20. > :46:23.the votes. Rafael Nadal was second. The sportsmanship award, he was
:46:24. > :46:32.nominated along with del Potro, David Ferrer and Nadal. Those
:46:33. > :46:38.pictures will take place for some time. That was lovely to see him out
:46:39. > :46:41.there. It is a shame they did not announce it earlier because a lot of
:46:42. > :46:49.people left. I am sure they would have stayed. Everyone is talking
:46:50. > :46:55.about a bad year he has had, but now he has won four trophies. It is
:46:56. > :46:59.thoroughly deserved. He is so well respected, a great ambassador for
:47:00. > :47:06.the game and he is a great leader for the players. The greater example
:47:07. > :47:09.Federer and Nadal have set for the younger generation, the way they
:47:10. > :47:15.interact and how accessible they are with the media. And there persona on
:47:16. > :47:19.court. It is first class and they have led from the front and put the
:47:20. > :47:27.game in the position it is in the day. Three very honourable awards. I
:47:28. > :47:31.think he takes the humanitarian award seriously. His background is
:47:32. > :47:37.South Africa and he has seen a lot of hardship with youngsters growing
:47:38. > :47:43.up there. We always think of him as being Swedish, but he is half South
:47:44. > :47:47.African. He is always feeling the plight of children suffering in
:47:48. > :47:52.South Africa. He will always be a fan's favourite. The way he plays
:47:53. > :47:58.the game, the way he handles himself and the way he speaks. If only other
:47:59. > :48:04.sports are people who speak so articulately. He wants to win tennis
:48:05. > :48:07.matches still. The next time we see him he will be playing Richard
:48:08. > :48:13.Gasquet probably to stay in this event. He will always be saluted. In
:48:14. > :48:16.three years we will probably still be saluting him because he will
:48:17. > :48:23.still be around trying to get into the top three. He will still be
:48:24. > :48:30.winning the fan's favourite even if he is still not playing the game. It
:48:31. > :48:38.is incredible. When you look at his record. We are talking about he has
:48:39. > :48:43.only one won tournaments, but if you look at his record and what he has
:48:44. > :48:46.achieved is is outstanding? The list of his achievements is endless.
:48:47. > :48:51.Whether it is titles, grand slam titles, consecutive grand slam
:48:52. > :48:57.quarterfinal. He is incredible. The some people, after the years -- the
:48:58. > :49:02.year he has had and the losses he has had, losing in the second round
:49:03. > :49:08.in Wimbledon, some people are questioning why he has the desire to
:49:09. > :49:13.keep going. But I think that is the beauty of Roger Federer, he has an
:49:14. > :49:17.enormous passion for the game. It is obviously much more fun when you are
:49:18. > :49:21.winning, but even though he has not been as consistent, he still has the
:49:22. > :49:27.desire to go out there, enjoy the game and the process and hopefully
:49:28. > :49:33.to win more. I am sure if he did not believe he could not win any more,
:49:34. > :49:37.he would not do it. In the last couple of weeks, he has been moving
:49:38. > :49:41.in the right direction. He will want a good off-season this year, and
:49:42. > :49:47.then hit the ground running in 2014. Djokovic saying, he is not as
:49:48. > :49:56.fast as he was, and there is a lot of questions to be and said? Yes, he
:49:57. > :50:03.can last for five sets, but can he give his best in those five sets.
:50:04. > :50:09.The top three will capitalise on that, if he cannot. It is what
:50:10. > :50:16.Djokovic does to Federer's second serve. In Paris in the final set,
:50:17. > :50:20.Federer served nine points of the second serve and won one of them.
:50:21. > :50:25.Djokovic has one of the best returns of server I have ever seen. How do
:50:26. > :50:31.you resist that when you are five or six years old? 17 grand slam winner,
:50:32. > :50:36.the great man himself trying to resist that. He has blown people off
:50:37. > :50:41.the court long enough, but this is a different phase of his career. I
:50:42. > :50:46.think Wimbledon offers the best opportunity. Absolutely, he has done
:50:47. > :50:51.it before. When we have questioned whether he was at his best, he has
:50:52. > :50:58.come back and proved us wrong. But when you look at the game, there is
:50:59. > :51:02.Djokovic, there is Thomas Berdych, there is all of those. To win a
:51:03. > :51:06.grand slam, it does not start at the semifinal stage, you have to beat
:51:07. > :51:11.the players? Roger has showed this year he is human. If he does not
:51:12. > :51:17.play well, he will lose early. You talk about this calibre of players.
:51:18. > :51:20.Nadal had seven months off, come back and achieved the number one
:51:21. > :51:26.ranking. That is because he is one of the greats of the game. Pete
:51:27. > :51:30.Sampras lost a second round at Wimbledon and then people were
:51:31. > :51:36.saying, he has got to retire, he is damaging his legacy. Three months
:51:37. > :51:41.later, he won the US Open. That was against the odds, but that is
:51:42. > :51:45.because he was one of the greats of the game. A lot of people have been
:51:46. > :51:51.quick to write Federer. No doubt it will be a big challenge, but when
:51:52. > :51:56.you have won 17, you have the experience and the confidence that
:51:57. > :52:00.goes with that, I am reluctant to write him off. I would love to see
:52:01. > :52:06.it because he will not be around for ever so we should make the most of
:52:07. > :52:10.him while he is. Let's reflect on this afternoon. Rafael Nadal is such
:52:11. > :52:15.a warrior, you talk about passion and desire to win, he has it? You
:52:16. > :52:20.are not just playing against his shots, you are playing against his
:52:21. > :52:28.willpower. I'm not sure you can train that in, it is something you
:52:29. > :52:34.have inside you. It was such a shame that Wawrinka towards the end of
:52:35. > :52:39.that set, almost tripped over. From the back of the court, you know he
:52:40. > :52:46.will set up camp back there. It is a fireball. These are the points that
:52:47. > :52:52.are key and this is the difference between players so often? Look at
:52:53. > :53:01.that. And look that! How did he resist that backhand down the line
:53:02. > :53:13.and get a lob over Wawrinka's head. And on this one. Even made him play
:53:14. > :53:19.that one. It was almost a shame Wawrinka almost tripped over his
:53:20. > :53:30.laces. The racket bore the brunt of it. Tim, you would never have done
:53:31. > :53:36.that? Not with the cameras on! Wawrinka, you can do what you have
:53:37. > :53:44.in you. Wawrinka did it out there and still got beaten. And also, to
:53:45. > :53:50.play over two hours, and you have lost 26 straight sets and 20 -- 12
:53:51. > :53:55.straight matches. But there is a lot of positives to take away from this
:53:56. > :54:00.match. On the year he has had, he has to remember that in the
:54:01. > :54:06.off-season. He did take some opportunities. He also made errors
:54:07. > :54:12.as well. 45 unforced errors, but he had to go the shots and try to make
:54:13. > :54:16.things happen? You cannot just keep the ball in and play to the middle
:54:17. > :54:20.of the court. You have to be prepared to step in and take your
:54:21. > :54:26.opportunities. He was looking to dictate with his forehand and his
:54:27. > :54:30.backhand. At this stage he was down in the tie-break in the second set.
:54:31. > :54:36.Comes up with the number Lee bubble backhand pass to win the point. He
:54:37. > :54:43.then got himself to win four points in a row. That is the challenge of
:54:44. > :54:49.playing Nadal. He does not know when he is beaten. He knows critical
:54:50. > :54:53.situations at the first set tie-break, the end of the second set
:54:54. > :54:58.tie-break, he was able to come up with something extra that got him
:54:59. > :55:08.over the line. We talk about great athletes in the sport, and Nadal is
:55:09. > :55:14.one of them? No wonder his knees are worn out. This is fabulous. That
:55:15. > :55:22.ball. I heard you screaming by the way. I was in a commentary box about
:55:23. > :55:27.three doors down. He did not ring he was going to get it before it
:55:28. > :55:34.bounced twice. We have to see that again. We need to come up with the
:55:35. > :55:42.correct term for this shot. It is the leaping, reversed salmon with...
:55:43. > :55:54.He really does have some snap on Mac bracket. -- racket. Tim was talking
:55:55. > :56:00.about his volley technique. It is almost perfect. He did say before
:56:01. > :56:04.the match he wanted to be more aggressive in coming forward. This
:56:05. > :56:13.is what it means to him. World number one. Got the job done. He
:56:14. > :56:18.certainly did, full credit to him. I did not realise it meant this much.
:56:19. > :56:23.Very emotional at the end of this. He did not know he was going to come
:56:24. > :56:30.back at the end of six or seven months. It was a lovely touch. He
:56:31. > :56:38.thanks his uncle and his family. I love to see that as well. The whole
:56:39. > :56:41.family, the team, his support means everything to him. It gives him the
:56:42. > :56:45.form to be able to get out there, Pratt is, train, go to the
:56:46. > :56:51.tournaments and compete the way he does. He missed the Australian, so
:56:52. > :56:58.he has a chance of going even further ahead? Djokovic will have
:56:59. > :57:04.those to defend. Djokovic hasn't done anything wrong, he is on a 17
:57:05. > :57:08.or 18 match winning streak with the win over Federer last night. Now he
:57:09. > :57:21.is having the number one ranking taken off him. Who knows what
:57:22. > :57:28.records Nadal will set. I think he will surpass Roger Federer, as long
:57:29. > :57:33.as he is still fit. You look at this tournament and you have to say on
:57:34. > :57:39.this torn on that -- surface, Djokovic is the favourite? The
:57:40. > :57:44.conditions, how early he can take the ball. His game, how he matches
:57:45. > :57:49.against Rafa, indoors I he is the favourite will stop but when you see
:57:50. > :57:55.Nadal coming through a match like that, you cannot write him off. It
:57:56. > :58:00.would be a fitting end if they could end up playing each other in the
:58:01. > :58:08.final. Federer codes still win this, by the way. Absolutely, he is back
:58:09. > :58:13.on court. We will be back tomorrow and another terrific match to look
:58:14. > :58:19.forward to. Roger Federer inaction against Richard Gasquet. We both
:58:20. > :58:23.lost their matches, so they need a victory tomorrow. Everyday we are
:58:24. > :58:27.leaving you with the music chosen by one of the players. Today it is
:58:28. > :58:37.stand. -- stand.