:00:34. > :00:39.Hello and welcome to the O2 Arena in London, what an exciting end to the
:00:40. > :00:43.tennis you we have in store, next week written compete in the Davis
:00:44. > :00:49.Cup final for the first time since 1978 when they take on Belgium.
:00:50. > :00:52.First we are in London for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals where
:00:53. > :00:56.this trophy is at stake. The top eight players in the world are in
:00:57. > :01:00.action and Andy Murray comes in as one of the favourites, he is the
:01:01. > :01:06.world number two but there is no question that 2015 along to one
:01:07. > :01:14.man, that man, Novak Djokovic. What a player, what an athlete and what a
:01:15. > :01:19.year it has been for him. It has been the best season of my life into
:01:20. > :01:23.them is a winning titles. The world number one wins the Australian Open.
:01:24. > :01:31.That is what champions are made of, Novak Djokovic. The world number one
:01:32. > :01:42.does not lie down easily. This moment belongs to Novak Djokovic. It
:01:43. > :01:48.is Djokovic again. Novak Djokovic wins Grand Slam title number ten.
:01:49. > :01:57.The relentless march past the game greats goes on. The rivalry made me
:01:58. > :02:00.a better player. Now he is in a different class to his rivals and he
:02:01. > :02:06.is the dominant force in tennis right now. He is on court today and
:02:07. > :02:10.I am delighted to say that Tim Henman and Andrew Castle with me,
:02:11. > :02:16.looking at Novak's year, he seems to be getting better and better. That
:02:17. > :02:19.is the scary aspect and will intimidate the other players. You
:02:20. > :02:23.look at the matches he has played and the tournaments he has one and
:02:24. > :02:26.the matches he has lost, the significant one was the French Open
:02:27. > :02:32.final against Stan Wawrinka but everything else he has dominated.
:02:33. > :02:36.When you think about a game plan about how to have an impact against
:02:37. > :02:40.Djokovic, it is so difficult because his return is so good and when you
:02:41. > :02:44.get into the baseline rallies, he is aggressive off both wings and his
:02:45. > :02:49.movement is the best the game has ever seen I think. He will certainly
:02:50. > :02:53.be the player to beat and I would be surprised if he is not holding the
:02:54. > :02:59.trophy at the end of this week. Interesting debate, is he the
:03:00. > :03:04.greatest ever? We will have that debate on social media later. When
:03:05. > :03:09.people first suggested that, people were laughing but now, three more
:03:10. > :03:15.healthy years, he was in all four finals in the Grand Slams this year,
:03:16. > :03:19.one much closer to a Grand Slam and Serena Williams, the game is so
:03:20. > :03:23.simple as well, and he can still improve some areas. It has gone
:03:24. > :03:28.quiet here and the players will be out in a moment but it is the usual
:03:29. > :03:34.format, the top eight this year, no injuries this year. Two groups named
:03:35. > :03:36.after the all-time greats, Stan Smith and Illy Nastase, who competed
:03:37. > :03:57.in that 1972 final. This is this afternoon, Novak
:03:58. > :04:06.Djokovic against Kei Nishikori Antoninus, Federer takes on Berdych.
:04:07. > :04:09.Andy has been practising on the clay and the hard court as he takes on
:04:10. > :04:14.David Ferrer. We are getting ready for this match and it is a huge
:04:15. > :04:20.match for Kei Nishikori, his second time here at the Barclays ATP World
:04:21. > :04:24.Tour Finals. He has had a difficult year, he has won three titles but a
:04:25. > :04:28.number of injuries including a neck injury in Paris and a shoulder
:04:29. > :04:32.injury before that so it has not gone according to plan and he has a
:04:33. > :04:38.tricky match is an understatement, to start up against Novak Djokovic.
:04:39. > :04:42.Can he find a way to win? He has many fans around the world, a
:04:43. > :04:46.fantastic player and lovely to watch and he took a set off Djokovic here
:04:47. > :04:57.last year but does he have the power to challenge the world number one?
:04:58. > :05:03.Ladies and gentlemen, making his second straight appearance at the
:05:04. > :05:09.Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, a winner of ten career ATP world tour
:05:10. > :05:41.titles, from Japan, Kei Nishikori. APPLAUSE
:05:42. > :05:50.Making his ninth successive appearance, with 58 titles and 26
:05:51. > :05:54.Masters 1000 trophies and ten Grand Slams, defending champion and the
:05:55. > :06:02.ATP world number one, from Serbia, Novak Djokovic.
:06:03. > :06:33.We talk about his record, what a record it is, he has won 22
:06:34. > :06:37.consecutive matches since losing the final in Cincinnati, that includes
:06:38. > :06:44.the US Open, only losing one set since the US Open, he has been in
:06:45. > :06:47.such commanding form. He has just been relentless, just as I said to
:06:48. > :06:51.Tim, getting better and better, people are struggling to get games
:06:52. > :06:56.off him. It is getting ridiculous how good he is but Nishikori can
:06:57. > :07:00.push him because he can stay at the back of the court, you mentioned
:07:01. > :07:05.that set here last year, there was a time in that match when Nishikori
:07:06. > :07:09.got under Djokovic's skin, he can match him movement wise at the back
:07:10. > :07:13.and can soak up a lot of pressure and take the physical punishment. A
:07:14. > :07:18.little bit of frustration from Djokovic in that match last year, he
:07:19. > :07:22.soon turned it round, winning 6-0 in the final set but Djokovic sometimes
:07:23. > :07:26.doesn't feel he gets the adoration that some of the other superstars
:07:27. > :07:31.get. We are talking about clutching at straws playing against him but if
:07:32. > :07:36.you hang in there he will make one or two mistakes, he is mobile enough
:07:37. > :07:42.to make Djokovic it an extra ball now and again. If we are looking for
:07:43. > :07:47.possibilities of a close match, he has beaten Djokovic twice before.
:07:48. > :07:51.But you say he has not had the adoration, not the magic of a
:07:52. > :07:54.Federer but the relentless pressure that he puts on people which I do
:07:55. > :07:59.not think crowds appreciate perhaps as much as they should. Perhaps, he
:08:00. > :08:07.does not have the variation of a Federer but if you look at how game
:08:08. > :08:11.is, it is relentless. We will now observe a one-minute silence to
:08:12. > :08:12.remember those who lost their lives in the tragic events in Paris on
:08:13. > :09:33.Friday night. Thank you ladies and gentlemen.
:09:34. > :09:50.APPLAUSE All of the lines are covered,
:09:51. > :09:57.machine calling the net and Hawk-Eye in effect and TV changeovers. Heads
:09:58. > :10:01.or tails? Heads is the call. Tails. Good match.
:10:02. > :10:15.The toss completed and the match underway very soon, just remembering
:10:16. > :10:20.those who lost their lives in the tragic events of Friday night in
:10:21. > :10:26.Paris has heightened our awareness in the importance of security. There
:10:27. > :10:30.is no one arriving today, by tube, who will have not remembered what
:10:31. > :10:33.happened here in London and what happened in Paris on Friday night.
:10:34. > :10:38.Everyone was prepared for extra security checks, a greater
:10:39. > :10:43.visibility of security around. Everybody accepts that, it is a
:10:44. > :10:47.global sport and we all have friends in different countries and France is
:10:48. > :10:52.one of the Grand Slam nations and no one could fail to be moved by
:10:53. > :10:57.Friday. It is on everybody's mind because it is such a large
:10:58. > :11:02.gathering. Beautifully observed here as you would expect. Yes, this is
:11:03. > :11:07.such a respectful sport as well. The crowds that turn up around here,
:11:08. > :11:12.remembering that but also the way they watched their sport they are a
:11:13. > :11:17.respectful crowd. Very much so, the history and tradition are one of the
:11:18. > :11:21.cornerstones of our sport. It is what Wimbledon is all about and when
:11:22. > :11:26.you come to the significance of the World Tour Finals, it is a majestic
:11:27. > :11:33.way to finish the year and it has been around the world, in New York
:11:34. > :11:36.at Madison Square Garden, Shanghai, and it has been such a success
:11:37. > :11:42.here, delighted it will be here for a few more years but as you say, a
:11:43. > :11:47.great way to start this week. This is a lovely match to start with,
:11:48. > :11:53.starting with this man, he has been in just such awesome form, winning
:11:54. > :11:58.three out of the four Grand Slams. There are all sorts of stats you can
:11:59. > :12:03.pick out of Novak Djokovic's numbers and say that is the most
:12:04. > :12:07.significant, his numbers are extraordinary, right up there in the
:12:08. > :12:11.top echelon. We talk about this generation time and again with
:12:12. > :12:15.Federer and Nadal, joined by Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic and
:12:16. > :12:19.Djokovic surging ahead. I spoke to Federer about the generation just
:12:20. > :12:25.the need, they have not really happened, not quite. Milos Raonic,
:12:26. > :12:28.Dimitrov, they have not been able to match up and challenge these guys,
:12:29. > :12:34.where that challenge will come from I don't know because he is setting
:12:35. > :12:39.new standards. Back in 1969, Rudd labour made four Grand Slams in a
:12:40. > :12:47.year, not until 2006 did a player make the final of all four slams.
:12:48. > :12:51.Novak has done it twice and he is only 28. There are numbers you can
:12:52. > :12:56.point and, the big one is that he is number one by miles. And he has been
:12:57. > :13:00.number one at this tournament, going for a record fourth consecutive win
:13:01. > :13:06.at these champions, even Lendl was the last to do that, and the last
:13:07. > :13:10.one was the year Djokovic was born in, that shows how difficult this
:13:11. > :13:14.event is and how good he is. Stating the obvious it is difficult to win
:13:15. > :13:20.because you have the eight best players in the world. In the context
:13:21. > :13:24.of Djokovic's game and how he plays indoors at the Asia swing where he
:13:25. > :13:28.does not look like he loses in China, he comes in with so much
:13:29. > :13:32.confidence, the number one is signed and sealed for another year and it
:13:33. > :13:36.would be an amazing achievement to be the first player ever to win this
:13:37. > :13:45.event four times in a row. And we all think that will happen. Let us
:13:46. > :13:49.hear from the man of the moment. I have relied on my defensive skills
:13:50. > :13:52.throughout my career a lot and managed to win some tough matches
:13:53. > :13:59.because of getting balls back in play. I have also developed the
:14:00. > :14:05.skill to penetrate through the rally from the first or second ball and
:14:06. > :14:09.not to get into long exchanges. That is one of the biggest improvements.
:14:10. > :14:17.This year, is there a standout memory of 2015? Best season of my
:14:18. > :14:24.life so there have been a lot of highlights. Grand slam titles, US
:14:25. > :14:31.Open final and the Wimbledon final I would add as standout moments. But I
:14:32. > :14:38.have had plenty of wins that gave me a lot of joy and fulfilment and just
:14:39. > :14:43.trying to cherish every moment I stand on the court because I know
:14:44. > :14:49.right now it is the time of my life in terms of maximising my potential
:14:50. > :14:54.and my abilities and I hope I can continue on with this great level of
:14:55. > :14:58.tennis here in London. Hard to bet against that, affecting great things
:14:59. > :15:04.from Djokovic, what can Kei Nishikori do? His year has not been
:15:05. > :15:08.the best by his standards, a number of injury problems and he has not
:15:09. > :15:12.beaten a player ranked above him but he does have a game that can worry
:15:13. > :15:17.him but needs to be at his best. He does and he needs to hope that
:15:18. > :15:22.Djokovic, first match of a new event is a bit nervous for some reason and
:15:23. > :15:26.his level drops a bit. When you try to put together a game plan of how
:15:27. > :15:31.to have an impact against Djokovic, the first opportunity is with a big
:15:32. > :15:35.serve. If you can hit the spot hard and set up for the second shot of
:15:36. > :15:40.the rally and dictate, that is not an option for Nishikori because he
:15:41. > :15:46.does not have that big weapon. The baseline exchanges, a big mover, if
:15:47. > :15:49.one area you can have an impact is looking to take the ball down the
:15:50. > :15:53.line. If you take it down the line you are looking to get the first
:15:54. > :15:58.strike in the rally but the reality is you are hitting over the high
:15:59. > :16:02.part of the net and less court, so there is greater risk and that is
:16:03. > :16:06.the challenge. You really have to roll the dice and go for your shots
:16:07. > :16:10.but if you do that you can make a lot of unforced errors so it will be
:16:11. > :16:15.interesting to see if Nishikori can have an impact on the back of the
:16:16. > :16:20.court. He has brought in Michael Chang as well, US Open finalist last
:16:21. > :16:25.season, we talked about who would come up from the Next Generation and
:16:26. > :16:31.many thought Kei Nishikori would win Grand Slams and be the next big
:16:32. > :16:37.thing but it has not quite happened. Maybe the US Open, as we saw with
:16:38. > :16:41.Stan Wawrinka, it can affect you. It was a great achievement and an even
:16:42. > :16:46.bigger achievement for Marin Cilic to win the US Open but the problem
:16:47. > :16:50.these players have behind Federer, Nadal and Djokovic and Murray to a
:16:51. > :16:55.certain extent, we are asking them to make an impact on three of the
:16:56. > :16:58.greatest players of all time. When you reflect on where they are in
:16:59. > :17:06.terms of grand slam titles, 41 between them, but on 17, Nadal, 14,
:17:07. > :17:11.Djokovic ten and will win a lot more. These three might go down as
:17:12. > :17:14.three of the best in history, those other players are great players, to
:17:15. > :17:19.qualify for the World Tour Finals is a fantastic achievement but I feel
:17:20. > :17:24.they are matching their potential, maximising their potential but what
:17:25. > :17:30.else can they do? We are asking who you think is the greatest? You can
:17:31. > :17:36.get in touch with us on Twitter or the BBC tennis Facebook page, get in
:17:37. > :17:43.touch with us on social media. It is Djokovic against Nishikori.
:17:44. > :17:48.COMMENTATOR: World number one, ATP World Tour Finals, staying in London
:17:49. > :17:59.through 2018. This is the first match of this edition.
:18:00. > :18:09.I should say the first singles match, Jamie Murray was a winner
:18:10. > :18:15.with John Peers today against the Italian duo so a great start for
:18:16. > :19:25.Jamie Murray. And now onto the singles, world number one.
:19:26. > :19:31.That is seven games in a row that Nishikori has lost to Djokovic on
:19:32. > :19:36.this very court, in the semifinal last year, Djokovic was getting
:19:37. > :19:41.uptight when he lost the second set of that semifinal, it would be the
:19:42. > :19:44.last match that he would play, Roger Federer injured his back against
:19:45. > :19:48.Stan Wawrinka in a magnificent semifinal and was not able to take
:19:49. > :19:53.the court, Andy Murray coming in at the last minute to play a singles
:19:54. > :19:59.exhibition against Novak Djokovic. And also that night, some doubles
:20:00. > :20:02.with some old men including my co-commentator Tim Henman. Have you
:20:03. > :20:06.played a bit since then? A little bit but let us keep our fingers
:20:07. > :20:13.crossed there are no injuries this year. A crowd of 17,500 in this can
:20:14. > :21:05.configure and in this wonderful arena.
:21:06. > :21:14.It is a very slow court, it is just like Paris a couple of weeks ago,
:21:15. > :21:15.the tennis balls are quick as they go through the air but the surface
:21:16. > :21:43.is very slow. Nishikori hitting a lot of
:21:44. > :21:47.aggressive shots already, looking to go down the line but it is so
:21:48. > :21:49.difficult to get any reward against Djokovic because his movement is so
:21:50. > :23:18.good. On a quicker court, that backhand
:23:19. > :23:22.down the line from Nishikori might have been the winning shot, against
:23:23. > :23:26.other players it might have been a shot that would set up a winning
:23:27. > :23:31.opportunity but against Djokovic you have do hit another, then another
:23:32. > :23:33.and another and that is the value of his movement, the defence that gives
:23:34. > :23:55.him. He has another break point. That was a terrible drop shot after
:23:56. > :24:01.a tremendous return of serve. Certainly one of Nishikori's better
:24:02. > :24:05.serves, in the corner at 121 mph but Djokovic still able to return the
:24:06. > :24:10.ball a foot from the baseline and neutralise the first strike for
:24:11. > :24:44.Nishikori. Early contender for worst drop shot of the week, that one.
:24:45. > :24:54.Nishikori's plan is to clearly take the ball on when he has the chance.
:24:55. > :24:59.He can move with Djokovic, can't he? He certainly is a good athlete but
:25:00. > :25:02.he is capable his technique, good early preparation and racket
:25:03. > :25:07.acceleration to take the ball down the line, it is a high risk strategy
:25:08. > :25:38.but it is the only way he will have an impact.
:25:39. > :25:48.Just easing their way through the gears. That is Top Gear ground
:25:49. > :25:52.strokes. You talk about the red counter on a car, Nishikori playing
:25:53. > :25:58.points like that he is redlining it, he is at the maximum of his
:25:59. > :26:00.capabilities. Is he going to be able to maintain that without making
:26:01. > :26:54.unforced errors, that is hard to do. And then you talk about Djokovic's
:26:55. > :26:58.technique, his footwork and movement, he is able to play so
:26:59. > :27:02.aggressively with very little risk, the ball is clearing the net by
:27:03. > :27:04.three or four feet but hitting it with heavy spin and not giving
:27:05. > :27:20.Nishikori a chance to get forward. That is just pressure paying off and
:27:21. > :27:26.that is a wonderful break of serve from Djokovic. That return of
:27:27. > :27:30.serve, it was 118 mph on the serve but the return comes back and not
:27:31. > :27:36.only is it neutralised but it puts you on the back foot. With
:27:37. > :27:40.Djokovic's current form, he does not need to send out too many messages
:27:41. > :27:45.to his opponents, they know how well he is playing that even after two
:27:46. > :28:10.games, stamping his authority on this first set.
:28:11. > :28:20.26 years of age next month, Kei Nishikori, got up into the top 20 in
:28:21. > :28:28.2012 and 2013, reached number five last year, number eight now.
:28:29. > :28:38.And he is the youngest in this field by quite a long way at 25 years of
:28:39. > :28:44.age. You have to go down to world number 14 to find someone younger,
:28:45. > :28:53.that is Milos Raonic and then David Coffin at 16 in the world, he is 24
:28:54. > :29:13.years of age as well. -- David Goffin.
:29:14. > :29:24.Wow. It is hard enough hitting one winner but when you have do hit
:29:25. > :29:31.three, four, five, Boris Becker on the left of course. As of the coach
:29:32. > :29:34.down there and the whole team of Novak Djokovic on the physical side
:29:35. > :30:28.has been remarkable. Earlier this week, it was announced
:30:29. > :30:41.that this tournament would stay in London until 2018.
:30:42. > :30:48.It is the thing for the executive who built this event, and Queen's,
:30:49. > :30:53.it is hard to resist the allure of the Far East, the big money out
:30:54. > :30:58.there and the Middle East as well, China as well, there are a lot of
:30:59. > :31:02.offers to take this event. There certainly is and it is a great
:31:03. > :31:08.attraction of this event, they take it to different markets but when you
:31:09. > :31:11.reflect on what a great city London is, the tradition of the tennis here
:31:12. > :31:18.and how successful this event has been, it has been the most attended
:31:19. > :31:22.single week event in tennis history, so to take it away from that at this
:31:23. > :31:27.moment in time, I think, would be madness, so it is an excellent
:31:28. > :31:30.decision and Chris Kermode deserves a lot of credit for that but also
:31:31. > :31:35.the success of this event from the start. Rafael Nadal would like it on
:31:36. > :31:41.clay now and again and I have some sympathy with that argument. David
:31:42. > :31:46.Ferrer wouldn't mind that, Wawrinka one the French Open, they can all
:31:47. > :31:51.play on clay, Federer would probably like it on grass!
:31:52. > :32:00.He has got a point, hasn't he, Rafa? There is no reason it shouldn't be
:32:01. > :32:04.on other surfaces. It is up to scheduling and seasons around the
:32:05. > :32:08.world as to where it can be played outdoors and where it would fit into
:32:09. > :33:17.the calendar, with Paris being the last event on the tour.
:33:18. > :33:31.Must be practising something. It is a lovely rhythm to watch and you can
:33:32. > :33:37.hear the sound of the feed on this indoor court. -- the feat. A lot of
:33:38. > :33:46.shoe rubber down on this brand-new surface.
:33:47. > :33:57.It was the right idea. It is interesting, Nishikori is a very,
:33:58. > :34:02.very good player, you watch this match and you think is there really
:34:03. > :34:08.a plan B for him? His plan a is hitting aggressively, is it going to
:34:09. > :34:14.be good enough against Djokovic? Does he have a plan B against
:34:15. > :34:18.anybody? This is the game he plays. It is and it is good enough to beat
:34:19. > :34:24.most players, but that the other end of the court, we would say does
:34:25. > :34:27.Djokovic have a plan B? I don't really think so, it is just that
:34:28. > :35:49.Plan A is so good. From this group and later on
:35:50. > :35:57.tonight, Roger Federer in action against Tomas Berdych. Tomorrow,
:35:58. > :36:31.2pm, BBC Two, for us, David Ferrer of Spain against Andy Murray.
:36:32. > :36:39.It looked when Kei Nishikori's shot landed, about an inch from the
:36:40. > :36:42.line... Top spin, taking it out wide with pace and it gets the treatment.
:36:43. > :37:29.Disheartening, to say the least. Two of the best backhand that
:37:30. > :37:33.Nishikori can hit, deep into the backhand corner, setting up the down
:37:34. > :37:59.the line shot. Really executed it very well.
:38:00. > :38:08.He is just absolutely on fire, isn't he, Djokovic? I know it was
:38:09. > :38:14.ambitious at the end but at the moment, I can't take my eyes off his
:38:15. > :38:17.movement on the tennis court. He sprayed this one a bit but the
:38:18. > :38:29.forces that he puts his body through...
:38:30. > :38:50.And he is off and running. Djokovic shouldn't mistake this applause for
:38:51. > :38:54.being an anti-Djokovic sentiment, it is just that when he plays,
:38:55. > :38:59.everybody cheers a bit for the opponent because they want to see a
:39:00. > :39:03.match. It is not this respect, it is just a hope that they will see a
:39:04. > :39:07.close contest, because so often, Djokovic matches this year have not
:39:08. > :39:59.been close, he is that good. Sometimes, he takes it personally.
:40:00. > :40:02.We have seen the worst drop shot of the tournament, this was certainly
:40:03. > :40:18.the best. UMPIRE: Mr Nishikori is challenging
:40:19. > :40:27.the call on the right hand line. Mr Nishikori has two challenges
:40:28. > :41:59.remaining. So the number one seed here, the
:42:00. > :42:03.defending champion, Novak Djokovic, 4-1 up. It is day one of the
:42:04. > :42:09.season-ending finale on the full tour, the top eight players only,
:42:10. > :42:13.and the top eight doubles teams, already a win for Jamie Murray and
:42:14. > :42:17.John Peers today. And elsewhere in the world, tennis goes on at the
:42:18. > :42:22.challenger level, well done to Dan Evans, in the final of a challenge
:42:23. > :42:34.at Knoxville, tennis he, on the hard court, but nobody would think he is
:42:35. > :42:40.going to make the Davis Cup. The action kicks off on Friday. The
:42:41. > :42:47.really interesting results for me this week have come from Buenos
:42:48. > :42:53.Aires, a challenger on clay, Kyle Edmund, 20 years of age, is in the
:42:54. > :42:57.final. To win, to go to South America and win for matches and is
:42:58. > :43:02.now in the final against Carlos Berlocq, I think he has put himself
:43:03. > :43:07.into pole position to be the number two player behind Andy Murray in the
:43:08. > :43:11.Davis Cup. It is certainly another interesting decision for Leon Smith
:43:12. > :43:14.and it is great timing, because we have to remember James Ward won a
:43:15. > :43:19.challenger in India on hard court a couple of weeks ago, so he has some
:43:20. > :43:23.matches under his belt, but just the scenario for this opportunity for
:43:24. > :43:26.the second singles match and you have three guys winning matches.
:43:27. > :43:30.After the previous Davis Cup tie, no one was really in any form except
:43:31. > :43:36.for Andy Murray, so the guys winning matches and it will boil down
:43:37. > :43:45.between Ward and Kyle Edmund. Ali Ashby Dean has an appeal at the
:43:46. > :43:48.tennis Federation as to whether he can represent Britain, he has
:43:49. > :43:51.already represented Slovenia, albeit in dead rubbers. It is all to be
:43:52. > :44:06.sorted this week. Would you pick him if he was allowed
:44:07. > :44:09.to be picked? I would tell the lawyer to have a sickie and come in
:44:10. > :44:13.a couple of days later so the decision could be after the Davis
:44:14. > :44:17.Cup final. If he is given the all clear to play, you have got to pick
:44:18. > :44:56.him. From Leon Smith, if he has a second
:44:57. > :45:02.player who is ranked 50 in the world and he is available to represent
:45:03. > :45:14.your team, you would be mad not to pick him.
:45:15. > :45:19.I just can't believe, from the ITF's point of view, with the timing
:45:20. > :45:24.of the match and the timing of the decision, I would have just thought
:45:25. > :45:28.about leaving it until December to let whatever happens happen and then
:45:29. > :45:44.they can decide on Bedene's future in British tennis.
:45:45. > :45:54.Djokovic really putting down the hammer in this match. Mine is just
:45:55. > :46:02.drifting ahead to the Davis Cup final, Great Britain versus Belgium
:46:03. > :46:03.-- minds. About team selection. We are happy to take your views on
:46:04. > :46:21.that. He had his man, as well. Michael
:46:22. > :46:31.Chang in one coaching camp, that is one side.
:46:32. > :46:37.We have discussed Djokovic's level of play, which has been incredible,
:46:38. > :46:39.but to me, he almost looks leaner, like he has lost weight. I don't
:46:40. > :47:41.know whether that is the case. We talk about the conditioning of
:47:42. > :47:45.these players, Federer was saying that back in 2004, they kind of
:47:46. > :47:48.figured out what they want to do through each phase of their career.
:47:49. > :47:52.Djokovic now says he has the training down for him, it is
:47:53. > :48:07.optimised for each individual and it takes time to learn it.
:48:08. > :48:13.Early on in his career, Novak Djokovic had all sorts of problems,
:48:14. > :48:19.not just with injury, as he grew into his strength and his body, but
:48:20. > :48:23.he seems to be ill all the time. They examined the diet and he is no
:48:24. > :48:27.gluten free, he continues to fight that.
:48:28. > :48:50.He says there is no magical Alexia Fiddes, this is work. -- no magic
:48:51. > :48:52.elixir for this. And the hard work has paid up, Novak Djokovic, the
:48:53. > :48:59.dominant force in men's tennis, defending champion here in London,
:49:00. > :49:06.is one set up after just half an hour.
:49:07. > :49:12.SUE BARKER: Djokovic just in a class of his own as we expected, with the
:49:13. > :49:20.form he has shown a recent weeks, and we have axed due to get into
:49:21. > :49:23.touch -- in touch as to where he stands are the greatest of all time.
:49:24. > :49:27.A mixed bag, Dean Jackson says we will find out by the end of his
:49:28. > :49:31.career by how many Grand Slams he has want and how long he spends at
:49:32. > :49:37.number one. For me, he is one of the best but will never get close to
:49:38. > :49:40.Federer. Michael says he could surpass Federer in years to come if
:49:41. > :49:47.he continues how he does the ship. Jack has been quite tough, he says
:49:48. > :49:51.top ten, not top five, though. But another Jack, Jack London, says
:49:52. > :49:57.Djokovic is the best player ever, he has had to overcome redder and Nadal
:49:58. > :50:02.in their prime to get where he is. -- overcome Federer and Nadal.
:50:03. > :50:05.Charlotte says Djokovic is the greatest, no one has dominated like
:50:06. > :50:09.this and will dominate for some time to come. That is what you have been
:50:10. > :50:13.saying and please get in touch if you differ from what you have heard
:50:14. > :50:18.and want to say anything about Rafael Nadal and his domination on
:50:19. > :50:22.the clay courts. This man is seven Grand Slams behind Federer but he
:50:23. > :50:25.has won three this year and is looking unstoppable at the moment.
:50:26. > :50:29.Back to Tim and Andy, what are your thoughts?
:50:30. > :50:33.ANDREW COTTER: I knew you would chuck that one back.
:50:34. > :50:41.I would say that if you never saw Rod Laver play, you missed out on a
:50:42. > :50:45.contender. If Bjorn Borg could travel to Australia, he would have
:50:46. > :50:48.won some of those. So many ifs and buts, three of the Grand Slams used
:50:49. > :50:53.to be on the grass courts, maybe that favoured Rod Laver but what is
:50:54. > :50:59.without doubt is what Tim was saying earlier on and it pains me to agree
:51:00. > :51:04.so thoroughly, with Federer and Nadal and Djokovic, it is a
:51:05. > :51:07.remarkable generation and for Andy Murray to make himself a part of
:51:08. > :51:12.that argument as well, and for Stan Wawrinka to respond quite late in
:51:13. > :51:45.his career, age wise, I think it has been amazing from all of the guys.
:51:46. > :51:55.Is Djokovic doesn't ever win the French Open, can he begins -- be
:51:56. > :52:01.considered the greatest of all time? Pete Sampras never did either. Just
:52:02. > :52:17.thought I would mentioned -- mention it.
:52:18. > :52:34.UMPIRE: Mr Djokovic is challenging the call, left-hand line.
:52:35. > :52:57.Mr Djokovic has two challenges remaining.
:52:58. > :53:04.Must win game for Cana Shaqiri, you would say, at the beginning of the
:53:05. > :53:10.second set -- Kei Nishikori? He needs to get some sort of foothold,
:53:11. > :53:11.otherwise with the consistency of Djokovic, the momentum that he has,
:53:12. > :53:34.it will be one-way traffic. No. Last year's event was a bit of a
:53:35. > :53:39.disappointment on the tennis court until we had that wonderful
:53:40. > :53:44.semifinal, Wawrinka - Federer. There weren't that many great matches.
:53:45. > :53:48.This year, the expectations are higher. Rafa Nadal, the great man is
:53:49. > :53:55.back, we are looking forward to that.
:53:56. > :54:04.The field looked tired last year, a couple of injuries around, people
:54:05. > :54:07.were dealing with things, Rafa was not there, it didn't quite have it.
:54:08. > :54:09.Then we didn't have a final at all, we had to put up with you playing
:54:10. > :54:20.doubles. This looks a little one-sided at the
:54:21. > :54:30.moment, it is a set and 1-0 break, Djokovic. With Nishikori not having
:54:31. > :54:35.the weapon on his serve, they are getting into baseline battles and
:54:36. > :54:40.that is where Djokovic is so dominant. On his serve in the first
:54:41. > :54:46.set, Djokovic only lost three points. He is aiming at the
:54:47. > :54:54.backhand, Nishikori, that is what that is telling you, in the baseline
:54:55. > :54:57.exchanges. What do you do? Given Nishikori's tools, if you are
:54:58. > :55:02.coaching him now, what would you say he has to do? Even if there was
:55:03. > :55:06.nothing, what would you tell him? Again, it goes back to the strategy
:55:07. > :55:10.of looking to get the first strike in and that is taking the ball down
:55:11. > :55:15.the line if you get a chance, but that is a very high risk strategy.
:55:16. > :55:17.Djokovic, with his movement and how well he is able to place the ball,
:55:18. > :55:23.keep the ball deep... The risk at times is greater than
:55:24. > :56:17.the reward. The first one of those in this
:56:18. > :57:33.match. From either player. That was interesting, but highball,
:57:34. > :57:37.he kept his eye on it. It was interesting how he handled the
:57:38. > :57:40.passing shot, it was a great attacking backhand from Nishikori
:57:41. > :57:44.but again, with the athletic ability, Djokovic able to find a
:57:45. > :58:02.passing shot down the line to set up the put away.
:58:03. > :58:17.In a nutshell, he just has to do this for another 90 minutes. He got
:58:18. > :58:21.inspired during their semifinal second set, when the chips were down
:58:22. > :58:25.last year, Nishikori. He was the only person to take a set off
:58:26. > :58:41.Djokovic. Again, another tactic you could
:58:42. > :58:45.think about is if you have a very good slice, to try and change the
:58:46. > :58:49.pace, keep the ball low. Nishikori doesn't have that shot, he doesn't
:58:50. > :59:14.have the slice, so it is not part of the equation.
:59:15. > :59:20.He has got the better forehand slice, that one shot through the
:59:21. > :59:42.surface, difficult to handle. And it is a measure of how little
:59:43. > :59:50.threat Djokovic feels from Nishikori that his first serve percentage is
:59:51. > :59:55.75%. He is throwing in big kicks, 107, 110, 112 mph, just to get at
:59:56. > :00:06.these baseline rallies, he knows he will win most of them.
:00:07. > :00:13.UMPIRE: Mr Nishikori is challenging the call, write me a line, the ball
:00:14. > :00:15.was called out. Ali merely of the United States chairing this first
:00:16. > :00:32.singles match. Just out. Call stands, gain
:00:33. > :00:40.Djokovic. The line judge trying not to smile. To say "how dare you doubt
:00:41. > :01:49.me?" Points won after first serve, a
:01:50. > :03:52.third, that is how good Djokovic returns.
:03:53. > :04:00.Coach Chang not exactly overjoyed that his man is off and running, the
:04:01. > :04:04.first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam final, where he beat Djokovic
:04:05. > :04:11.on the way before losing to Marin Cilic last year. Perhaps he could
:04:12. > :04:15.yet make this second set close. I told you this is the eight-man
:04:16. > :04:17.finale to the end of the year, this is where players have been in terms
:04:18. > :04:35.of the Masters 1000 series. The hard courts of North America
:04:36. > :04:40.after Wimbledon. You will see Djokovic, six Masters 1000 series
:04:41. > :04:53.tournament wins, the first time anybody has one 6 of those. -- won
:04:54. > :04:59.six of those in a year. It is an outrage, to win six of them? It is,
:05:00. > :05:03.because in some respects, the consistency and quality of your
:05:04. > :05:09.opponents are potentially greater in a Grand Slam, 128 players in the
:05:10. > :05:14.Grand Slam, sections of the drawer open up a bit more, to dominate the
:05:15. > :05:23.best in the world so consistently is an incredible achievement. No
:05:24. > :05:32.pigeons around is what you are saying, no cannon fodder like me, it
:05:33. > :05:42.has to be a 256 draw. Definitely no one like you but there are easier
:05:43. > :05:47.matches than others. Harsh thing to say, on my birthday as well, I can't
:05:48. > :08:41.believe you. Looking good for 59. Set and a break.
:08:42. > :08:48.There is always an element in the player 's game that is less talked
:08:49. > :08:53.about, the power of concentration, it goes with age, I can tell you
:08:54. > :08:58.that. Novak has been very strong in that area as well, hasn't he? He
:08:59. > :09:03.controls his mental side where it is a real projection down to the other
:09:04. > :09:09.end of the court, to walk out against him, whether you are
:09:10. > :09:11.rougher, Roger, Andy or Stan, you do not think you are going to get this
:09:12. > :09:34.guy any time soon. Roger Federer is the only man to
:09:35. > :09:39.beat Djokovic twice this year and he has only lost five times to Novak.
:09:40. > :09:41.His game is about in graining good habits, his forehand, his backhand,
:09:42. > :10:09.his movement. He has ingrained such good habits
:10:10. > :10:16.that when he comes out on court to play matches, irrespective of who he
:10:17. > :10:20.plays, he basically plays the same way and he obviously controls that
:10:21. > :10:23.mentally. Like a repeating golf swing, goes out and delivers every
:10:24. > :12:58.time. At 6-1, 3-1, there is no taking his
:12:59. > :13:03.foot off the gas. Just recognises when to move up the court when he
:13:04. > :13:30.hits that shot that is a little bit cheaper. -- deeper.
:13:31. > :13:40.Mr Djokovic challenging the call. If he has missed a second serve return
:13:41. > :13:50.it would be unusual. It landed quite short in the court, a kick-serve,
:13:51. > :13:57.and it caught the back. Advantage Djokovic, there might be a bit of
:13:58. > :14:02.argument about this. It is an area that has to be tightened up, a
:14:03. > :14:06.problem judgment for the umpire. It is a judgment call and the umpire
:14:07. > :14:12.feels the call made by the line judge was after Nishikori had hit
:14:13. > :14:23.his backhand into the net therefore it did not impact his shop. But
:14:24. > :14:26.sometimes the first serve is in but the umpires make you replay the
:14:27. > :14:36.point, I happen to agree with the umpire by the way. And that will
:14:37. > :14:45.probably be that, less than an hour played an Djokovic in complete
:14:46. > :14:50.control, a set and 4-1. Looking further down the list, having spoken
:14:51. > :14:56.with Federer, he says the generation beneath, the likes of Dimitrov,
:14:57. > :15:03.Nishikori is 25, Dimitrov 24, Raonic 24. The next lot, the youngsters,
:15:04. > :15:11.one of them, number 30 in the world is 20 years old, he stands out
:15:12. > :15:14.because he is the youngest by miles around, Nick Kyrgios, if he guesses
:15:15. > :15:21.at together, he could make his way to the top, couldn't he? Very much
:15:22. > :15:25.so, enormous talent and great skills on the court but there are three
:15:26. > :15:29.attributes you need, technical elements, the physical elements and
:15:30. > :15:33.the mental elements. I think the mental aspect is where there are
:15:34. > :15:37.questions. Hopefully he will have the right people around him, I think
:15:38. > :15:43.Lleyton Hewitt will play an important part in getting him on the
:15:44. > :15:47.straight and narrow and then he will start winning titles. Kei Nishikori
:15:48. > :15:53.left Japan, sponsored to go to America, he worked so hard. You can
:15:54. > :15:58.imagine how alien that environment felt to him but he decided, and his
:15:59. > :16:04.family, decided that was the price and here he is. Second year in a row
:16:05. > :16:08.and the World Tour Finals. Happy to hear from you this week on any
:16:09. > :16:15.issues you want to talk about on social media.
:16:16. > :16:23.We will have a good read through and hopefully get some of them on air
:16:24. > :16:29.when we can. Would you send your 13 or 14-year-old overseas to pursue a
:16:30. > :16:35.life as a professional sportsman? It is a big call. I sort of hope I
:16:36. > :16:38.would not want to make the decision, I would want the individual to make
:16:39. > :16:42.the decision, if they have the hunger and desire to do that, you
:16:43. > :16:57.would like to give them the opportunity.
:16:58. > :17:08.Plenty of people out there listening saying they would quite happily send
:17:09. > :17:12.their 14 or 13-year-old awake. A big decision, Andy Murray went at the
:17:13. > :17:15.age of 15. Even Novak Djokovic went to Germany, for a couple of years
:17:16. > :19:37.from ages 12 to 14. He is going to be feeling a bit
:19:38. > :19:41.bruised at the moment, Kei Nishikori, number eight in the world
:19:42. > :22:10.but getting hammered here. A lots of one-sided matches last
:22:11. > :22:14.year. Impossible not to be a bit disheartened if you are Kei
:22:15. > :22:30.Nishikori when you are a set and 5-1 down.
:22:31. > :22:38.Change of direction to the forehand side proving too much there and the
:22:39. > :23:01.autograph hunters gather, match point.
:23:02. > :23:07.That is an absolute demonstration of world-class tennis from Novak
:23:08. > :23:12.Djokovic. The last time he played here it was Federer in the Wimbledon
:23:13. > :23:19.final, this time back in London and indoors, it is Kei Nishikori with no
:23:20. > :23:20.answer. Very comfortable, actually a brilliant performance if not a great
:23:21. > :23:39.spectacle. Kei Nishikori will next play against
:23:40. > :23:50.Roger Federer or Tomas Berdych, he still has two matches to play, he is
:23:51. > :23:54.not out of it yet. The world number one presentation is about to take
:23:55. > :23:58.place on the court but your thoughts on that match and the performance
:23:59. > :24:03.from both players, what did you make of it? Normal service resumed for
:24:04. > :24:09.Novak Djokovic, a real clinic, clean in all aspects of his game, first
:24:10. > :24:15.serve percentage, 72, nine points lost on serve in the whole match and
:24:16. > :24:18.dominated all aspects. From Nishikori's point of view, this is a
:24:19. > :24:26.tournament where you can lose a match and still go through. He is
:24:27. > :24:31.going for four in a row, nobody has done that, he is off and running,
:24:32. > :24:46.first match played, Federer and Berdych later on. This is the Stan
:24:47. > :24:50.Smith group. What Tim was alluding to, losing a match and getting
:24:51. > :24:57.through, two people go through to the semifinals from each group. So
:24:58. > :25:03.you can not go through having won two matches or you can go through
:25:04. > :25:13.having won one, but we will get into the mathematics when we need to. A
:25:14. > :25:18.38 match indoor winning streak for Novak Djokovic stretching back to
:25:19. > :25:18.2012, you would not want to enter a tournament other than indoors
:25:19. > :25:34.really. Ladies and gentlemen, we now have a
:25:35. > :25:38.special presentation on court, Novak Djokovic has secured the year end
:25:39. > :25:51.number one ranking for the fourth time in his career after 2011, 2012
:25:52. > :25:55.and 2014. APPLAUSE Would you please welcome onto court,
:25:56. > :26:02.the ATP executive chairman and chairman who will present Novak with
:26:03. > :26:12.the 2015 ATP Tour world number one trophy presented by emirates.
:26:13. > :26:21.APPLAUSE Ladies and gentlemen, the world
:26:22. > :26:36.number 14 2015, Novak Djokovic. -- world number one, four 2015.
:26:37. > :26:44.At 28, Novak has become only the sixth man to clinch the year end
:26:45. > :26:48.number one ranking on four occasions, an incredible year for
:26:49. > :26:56.the Serb sensation, reaching all four grand slam finals winning the
:26:57. > :27:01.US Open, Wimbledon and the Australian Open. He also became the
:27:02. > :27:05.first player to win six Masters 1000 events in one season, he arrived at
:27:06. > :27:10.the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals with a stunning 78-5 match record,
:27:11. > :27:18.six times in eight years he has reached at least 70 wins, records
:27:19. > :27:20.keep on being broken, he has had one of the greatest seasons of all time,
:27:21. > :27:52.congratulations Novak. That is a very big trophy,
:27:53. > :27:57.congratulations, can you give us your thoughts looking back on a
:27:58. > :28:03.wonderful season? Undoubtedly it has been the most successful and best
:28:04. > :28:10.year of my life as a matter of fact, I became a father in the meantime
:28:11. > :28:18.and got married, those are the kind of trophies and milestones that mean
:28:19. > :28:21.the most to me. It did reflect in a positive way in my tennis game and
:28:22. > :28:26.my tennis career, I have been experiencing some of the peak times
:28:27. > :28:31.right now of my abilities and everything got together, over the
:28:32. > :28:40.years I have had lots of success, I was very consistent with my results
:28:41. > :28:46.in 2011 and 2015 stand out. Looking back with great pride and joy and of
:28:47. > :28:51.course, my team, even though it is an individual sport, my team play a
:28:52. > :29:00.big part in this, most of all, my friends, and people I can rely on.
:29:01. > :29:08.They are helping me each and every day to get better. As a player and
:29:09. > :29:11.as a person. My wife, my son, my parents, my brothers, all of the
:29:12. > :29:17.closest people in my life are sacrificing a lot for me to play the
:29:18. > :29:22.sport I love and I try to cherish every moment spent on the court and
:29:23. > :29:26.be grateful and this is definitely the crown for all of the
:29:27. > :29:30.achievements the season. We wish you the very best of luck for the
:29:31. > :29:37.Championships as well ladies and gentlemen, Novak Djokovic.
:29:38. > :29:46.He would just like to say something else. I apologise, I did not want to
:29:47. > :29:52.speak to long but I would like to reflect on what happened a couple of
:29:53. > :29:58.days ago in Paris. All my heart goes to the families of the lost ones and
:29:59. > :30:05.it is devastating to see those images in the footage and I want
:30:06. > :30:06.everybody to make warm applause in remembrance to those people, thank
:30:07. > :30:30.you. Thank you. APPLAUSE SUE BARKER: Don't forget the trophy,
:30:31. > :30:34.Novak! Of course, all the photographers want to have a shot of
:30:35. > :30:39.that, that will be going around the papers all around the world, but
:30:40. > :30:42.great words from Novak Djokovic. He is very sensitive, as an
:30:43. > :30:46.interviewer, he is one of my favourites to interview, he is very
:30:47. > :30:49.giving and always remembering those who have supported him, talking
:30:50. > :30:55.about his team and his wife, who has been with him for so long. Tim, you
:30:56. > :31:02.know how difficult it is to play on the tour and the highs and lows that
:31:03. > :31:06.go with winning and losing and those around you get as affected as you
:31:07. > :31:10.do. Certainly, they are an important foundation for someone like Novak in
:31:11. > :31:14.an individual sport. He has a great team around him, great family and
:31:15. > :31:18.now with a wife and a child, he takes on even more responsibilities.
:31:19. > :31:22.But when you hear him not only talk about his game this year and over
:31:23. > :31:26.the past four or five years, he talks with great maturity and he is
:31:27. > :31:30.a great ambassador for our sport and I think it is also a great
:31:31. > :31:34.reflection on the leadership of Federer and Nadal before, they have
:31:35. > :31:38.been incredible ambassadors and he is very much following in their
:31:39. > :31:42.footsteps. We touched on it earlier, Andy, about how the public haven't
:31:43. > :31:46.really taken him to their hearts as they have Federer and Nadal but I
:31:47. > :31:49.think that will happen. We have seen it so often with players in the
:31:50. > :31:53.past, the older they get and the more familiar people get, the more
:31:54. > :31:56.they are loved. If you look invincible and you are perfect on
:31:57. > :32:01.the court that you win everything, we talk about how well he speaks and
:32:02. > :32:05.he speaks well because he is very smart and intelligent and articulate
:32:06. > :32:11.and very well practised at receiving trophies and making speeches. His
:32:12. > :32:15.tennis has been impeccable and until we start seeing some flips and some
:32:16. > :32:18.emotion, like when he lost in the French Open to Wawrinka and he
:32:19. > :32:22.showed emotion to the crowd and you saw a few tears flow, suddenly
:32:23. > :32:26.people understand there is a human and not a machine there, so it may
:32:27. > :32:30.be confusing to him when his opponent sometimes get a lot of
:32:31. > :32:34.support but it is not confusing to anyone else, because we want to see
:32:35. > :32:38.close matches. But he is a very human man and he absolutely gets his
:32:39. > :32:42.responsibility, so in that way, tennis is led from the top, as it
:32:43. > :32:47.should be. Other sport should be very grateful for someone like this
:32:48. > :32:50.at the top. You mention Stan Wawrinka, who beat him at the French
:32:51. > :32:59.Open, they are very good friends and has he turned up in London, Wawrinka
:33:00. > :33:02.gave him a key ring of his plaid shorts in which he beat him in
:33:03. > :33:07.France and he took it in very good spirit. I mean, that was probably
:33:08. > :33:11.the match, people have been tweeted in, if he can win the French... He
:33:12. > :33:15.got very close and you wouldn't bet against it but it really hurt him
:33:16. > :33:19.this year. Obviously that was the second Grand Slam of the year and we
:33:20. > :33:25.didn't know what would unfold at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, the way
:33:26. > :33:28.he has dominated the Masters, but on reflection, if he could have one go
:33:29. > :33:33.at the match he lost first year, he has only lost five, that would be
:33:34. > :33:36.the one. But Wawrinka produced some of the most devastating and
:33:37. > :33:41.attacking tennis I have seen for a long time and it takes that kind of
:33:42. > :33:46.performance, those kinds of weapons, to get past Djokovic and today's
:33:47. > :33:49.match against Nishikori, you see the scoreline and you think one-on-one,
:33:50. > :33:54.Nishikori had a bit of a nightmare. Well, he did, but he didn't play
:33:55. > :34:00.that badly, it is just a huge gulf in the quality of the players. Andy
:34:01. > :34:04.Murray, having lost to him in the final in Paris, he said you have to
:34:05. > :34:07.go out there and be aggressive, you won't beat him from the back of
:34:08. > :34:12.accord, he is too good at that game, but it is getting the balance right
:34:13. > :34:18.and not making errors, but didn't get it right. Murray blew him off
:34:19. > :34:24.the court after the semifinals over two sets, he had just beaten
:34:25. > :34:28.Nadal... Sorry, I just meant the recent Paris tournament. You are
:34:29. > :34:32.talking about patience and aggression, how to play Novak. It is
:34:33. > :34:35.something that... I think Andy Murray can stay level is it is
:34:36. > :34:39.something that... I think Andy Murray can stay there visiting with
:34:40. > :34:43.him but we will have to see the next match, if you go out there and you
:34:44. > :34:47.are Andy Murray and you are physical like he is, can you stay at the back
:34:48. > :34:51.of the court and say, I am going to outlast you and get under your skin
:34:52. > :34:58.that way? That might be possible. The other way is to go for your
:34:59. > :35:02.shots, like the burden for shirts -- third and fourth sets in the French
:35:03. > :35:06.Open. We will have to see how they match up. Just watching some of the
:35:07. > :35:10.highlights the highlights from Djokovic's side of the net because
:35:11. > :35:14.Nishikori didn't really have any ancestor day. He has got a big game
:35:15. > :35:20.but it wasn't wasn't really there. -- have any today.
:35:21. > :35:23.TIM HENMAN: That is his big weapon, the forehand and the backhand, he
:35:24. > :35:28.can take the ball early and generate a lot of power, but for me, it was
:35:29. > :35:32.his service that lets him down, he was never able to get a foothold on
:35:33. > :35:37.his own serve, serving at less than 50% on the first serves and when the
:35:38. > :35:40.first or second was going in, he was losing more than half the points, so
:35:41. > :35:47.if you are not holding your own serve, it will give you no platform
:35:48. > :35:50.to attack your opponent's serve and Djokovic was up in the mid-70s on
:35:51. > :35:54.first serve percentage and was dominating, so there was only going
:35:55. > :35:58.to be one winner. We talked about Stan Wawrinka, he has the big shots,
:35:59. > :36:02.and that is possibly why he does better than others against him. If
:36:03. > :36:05.you can take the match away from your opponent sometimes, that is
:36:06. > :36:11.going to work in your favour. I wonder what Michael Chang works on
:36:12. > :36:17.with Kate Nishikori. We are talking about a fabulous player who was in
:36:18. > :36:21.the US Open final. He is a darn sight better than I ever was, so I
:36:22. > :36:27.am not going to criticise Nishikori, but it is what Tim was talking about
:36:28. > :36:31.in the commentary, do you stop yourself from being 5-10 in the
:36:32. > :36:35.world for your career and say, how am I going to be in the top four? Or
:36:36. > :36:41.do you say I am making X million a year, I have a storage existence and
:36:42. > :36:49.everything is good? It would be hard to reconstruct his game but it would
:36:50. > :36:53.be hard to beat Markovic. -- Djokovic. If you break down
:36:54. > :36:58.Nishikori's game and say how can he improve it, it is hard. He doesn't
:36:59. > :37:02.serve consistently and if he is not serving that big, there is even more
:37:03. > :37:06.reason to get first serves in the court. But his baseline game, he
:37:07. > :37:09.moves great, forehand and backhand, he can change direction and go down
:37:10. > :37:14.the line, I don't think you can improve that much. Is he going to
:37:15. > :37:18.come to the net? Not really, he doesn't have the stature or the
:37:19. > :37:22.technique on his volleys, so in terms of maximising his potential,
:37:23. > :37:27.he has got to be pretty close to it and then he goes up against Djokovic
:37:28. > :37:31.in the tour ending championships, the top eight in the world, and only
:37:32. > :37:34.wins two games. You have to look at it and say there is a huge coping
:37:35. > :37:40.class that perhaps Nishikori is never going to close. -- gulf in
:37:41. > :37:44.class. It is very difficult to find a way to beat Djokovic and Andy
:37:45. > :37:47.Murray hasn't been close in recent matches. He will start his campaign
:37:48. > :37:52.tomorrow against David Ferrer, and let's see how he is repairing. It is
:37:53. > :37:57.awkward, with the Davis Cup taking place next week, he is mixing it
:37:58. > :38:02.between the clay and the heart. He has been talking to Russell Fuller.
:38:03. > :38:06.Monday to Thursday on the clay, and it was good, the body felt good, a
:38:07. > :38:13.lot of moving and sliding around, just trying to get my body used to
:38:14. > :38:18.that, obviously with the Davis Cup final coming up. How difficult a
:38:19. > :38:21.decision was it to play here? You told us after the semifinal you were
:38:22. > :38:24.in two minds whether it would be possible to play the World Tour
:38:25. > :38:31.finals on hard courts and the Davis Cup final on clay? I wasn't
:38:32. > :38:36.necessarily in two minds, it is just that I know the risk of me of moving
:38:37. > :38:42.around surfaces, especially when I am going on to play and that switch
:38:43. > :38:47.has been problematic for me in the past -- on to clay. I needed to make
:38:48. > :38:51.sure I got time on the clay to test it out because of my back didn't
:38:52. > :38:57.respond well to the change, then I don't want to be injuring myself the
:38:58. > :39:06.week before the Davis Cup. You know, thankfully, this week has gone well
:39:07. > :39:12.physically and I have felt well, doing some work Bedene is good work
:39:13. > :39:16.with my team, so it is always going to be impossible to get the perfect
:39:17. > :39:24.balance and preparation for both but I have done the best I could. The
:39:25. > :39:27.positives of being here is you get competition against the very best in
:39:28. > :39:30.the world but is it also a concern if you have a deep run and you are
:39:31. > :39:36.playing gruelling matches against the likes of Djokovic and Federer? I
:39:37. > :39:42.haven't really thought about it like that, to be honest. I do think that
:39:43. > :39:46.it is a plus to get match practice in against the best players,
:39:47. > :39:52.regardless of the surface. Obviously, it is indoors, which is
:39:53. > :39:56.good, but, yeah, I haven't really thought about it like that.
:39:57. > :40:00.Obviously all of the matches here are tough. I guess you could be
:40:01. > :40:03.tired by the end of it but also, there is not much better preparation
:40:04. > :40:06.than playing against the best players in the world if you're
:40:07. > :40:10.trying to get ready for something. Given the fact that you have
:40:11. > :40:15.practised predominantly on clay this week, how high are your expectations
:40:16. > :40:20.for this event? I think I have to be realistic at the beginning of the
:40:21. > :40:25.event, my first match, my timing might not be perfect or as I would
:40:26. > :40:31.like, but I do think that you can get that back very, very quickly and
:40:32. > :40:38.I'll have had three days of practice on the hard courts before I play my
:40:39. > :40:41.first round and David Ferrer is obviously a great, great player, he
:40:42. > :40:45.has been around at the top of the game for a long time, but also I
:40:46. > :40:48.will hit a lot of balls in that match, there will be long rallies
:40:49. > :40:53.and I will have an opportunity to get rhythm, which is positive. Have
:40:54. > :41:00.you had any moment since Paris to think about how you land a few more
:41:01. > :41:03.blows on Djokovic or Roger Federer? You said after losing the final bet
:41:04. > :41:09.that that is very much the ambition the next season, working out why you
:41:10. > :41:13.used to have so much success against them? Yes, I have thought about it a
:41:14. > :41:17.lot, I have had some chats with my team and thought about things myself
:41:18. > :41:25.and I do feel I have learned a little bit there, but the test is to
:41:26. > :41:29.do it on the match court as well and hopefully I will get a chance to do
:41:30. > :41:32.that this week. They both think they are more aggressive against you now
:41:33. > :41:39.than they used to be, how do you best counter that? Well, I mean, if
:41:40. > :41:45.someone is being more aggressive against you, then obviously, you are
:41:46. > :41:51.either playing too defensively or you can be more offensive yourself
:41:52. > :41:56.and try to push them away from the baseline, but I think there is more
:41:57. > :42:04.to it than just what does playing aggressively actually mean? You
:42:05. > :42:11.know, there is a lot to that and I think looking at patterns of play
:42:12. > :42:15.and shot selection and stuff is a better way of looking at it.
:42:16. > :42:20.SUE BARKER: The person he will be worrying about right now is David
:42:21. > :42:24.Ferrer, because he takes on David Ferrer tomorrow here at the O2
:42:25. > :42:30.Arena, and you will see that live with us at 2pm on BBC Two. It is a
:42:31. > :42:37.tricky old... Very tricky preparation for him, for the clay.
:42:38. > :42:40.When you look at it, the World Tour finals followed by the Davis Cup
:42:41. > :42:45.final, hopefully Andy will view it as a nice problem to have. Yes, he
:42:46. > :42:48.has to change service but he is in great shape and to play here, he is
:42:49. > :42:53.playing against the best of the world and if he has a good run, it
:42:54. > :42:57.will give him the confidence against the toughest opposition and he will
:42:58. > :43:01.go into Belgium full of confidence. And he will want to do really well
:43:02. > :43:05.here, getting matches, getting wins, that is what you want. He is in
:43:06. > :43:09.great shape at the moment, he has set his stall out this year, he
:43:10. > :43:13.wants to win the Davis Cup. I don't think we will see him in the team
:43:14. > :43:17.next year, perhaps the first match. But the effort and energy he has put
:43:18. > :43:21.in, I just don't want him injured because the Davis Cup is a priority
:43:22. > :43:28.for him but I always thought he would be here and I am glad he is.
:43:29. > :43:31.And luckily, the back has stood up so far in practice. Thank you very
:43:32. > :43:35.much, we are back tomorrow at 2pm on BBC Two but today, for Novak
:43:36. > :43:39.Djokovic, it was relentless pressure. He is a treat to watch but
:43:40. > :43:45.a nightmare to play against, as Nishikori found out. From all of us,
:43:46. > :43:53.goodbye. All of my heart obviously goes back to the families of the
:43:54. > :43:56.lost once and it is really devastating. -- lost ones.