0:00:30 > 0:00:34That was nerveless. It's Gough Gough Gough that strikes
0:00:34 > 0:00:44first. That is superb.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49David Goffin gets his man. It is all or nothing today.
0:00:49 > 0:00:55The winner goes through, the loser goes home. The prize for the winner,
0:00:55 > 0:01:01a Saturday semifinal showdown with Roger Federer. I wonder of the Cup
0:01:01 > 0:01:04of Tea challenge returns between Tim & drew. This is a hard one to call?
0:01:04 > 0:01:09It is. Identify been going through the head-to-heads, looking at the
0:01:09 > 0:01:19guides. Goffin is up 6-3. He has been teamed in big matches in the
0:01:19 > 0:01:24Australian Open and Monte Carlo but I wonder about the previous
0:01:24 > 0:01:28performance here, losing to Dimitrov, that was a lesson. So we
0:01:28 > 0:01:31will have to see how he bouncing back from that.
0:01:31 > 0:01:38It is hard to cock back?Let's be clear. There is no challenge. He
0:01:38 > 0:01:45hasn't got anything right all week, stop giving him credit! I will be
0:01:45 > 0:01:50interested to see who he goes for today. You beat the world number
0:01:50 > 0:01:56one, Nadal. Then you are duffed and lose two games. I think that is more
0:01:56 > 0:02:00to do with the way that Dimitrov played than Goffin playing badly. We
0:02:00 > 0:02:05will see about the team defence. It's a good-looking match with a
0:02:05 > 0:02:13massive prize. I'm picking... What do you want to pick?I had to let
0:02:13 > 0:02:19you pick on your birthday. It was a no-brainer with Dimitrov. But my
0:02:19 > 0:02:26choice now, I'm going to go for... Dominic Thiem.You have stolen my
0:02:26 > 0:02:32thunder. It will be interesting to see how
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Goffin nullifies the power and turn it is against Thiem. We have had
0:02:36 > 0:02:44great matches this week. This could be another.It could.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49So, the players are making their way to the court. Here they come.
0:02:49 > 0:02:58Ladies and gentlemen, the first Belgium player to qualify for the
0:02:58 > 0:03:09ATP Finals fine, David Goffin!
0:03:26 > 0:03:37Ladies and gentlemen, playing at the Nitto ATP Finals for the second year
0:03:37 > 0:03:46round, from Austria, Dominic Thiem!
0:04:08 > 0:04:13So, let's go back to your choice, you are going with Thiem but he's
0:04:13 > 0:04:20not had a great build up to the event, as he?Did you say my choice
0:04:20 > 0:04:24or guess? No, he hasn't. And playing in the conditions, I have heard the
0:04:24 > 0:04:28players saying that the ball is flying. And it's not easy to
0:04:28 > 0:04:32control. He is aggressive from the back of the court with big swings,
0:04:32 > 0:04:37so it makes it difficult to control. So the way that he counteracts is to
0:04:37 > 0:04:43go further behind hind the baseline. Doing that he puts himself in
0:04:43 > 0:04:48negative territory. So interesting to see if David Goffin can play
0:04:48 > 0:04:53closer to the baseline to dictate play. The person that can be
0:04:53 > 0:04:56offensive and be the proactive player has the opportunity.
0:04:56 > 0:05:05OK. Welcome to the Nitto ATP Finals, we
0:05:05 > 0:05:09have the ATP side or the Fed-Ex side?ATP.
0:05:09 > 0:05:15ATP is going to call. Go ahead. ATP it is, proceed.
0:05:15 > 0:05:21One quick photo. The photo with Steve and he has
0:05:21 > 0:05:25chosen to return as Federer did, and put the pressure on Thiem's serve
0:05:25 > 0:05:30from the go. But let's hear from the players, who admit to being each
0:05:30 > 0:05:37other's favourite players, if off court, on it.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41One of my favourite opponents. I have a negative head to head with
0:05:41 > 0:05:47him. He can really hurt me with his game. We have had important matches
0:05:47 > 0:05:52already on big stages. And this one coming up.He's such a great guy. We
0:05:52 > 0:05:56have played so many times against each other. I found solutions to
0:05:56 > 0:06:02beat him in the past, so I hope to find the key, also this week to win
0:06:02 > 0:06:06my match against him. But it's not going to be easy. He is really
0:06:06 > 0:06:11dangerous. He's hitting the ball really hard, so, yeah, it's going to
0:06:11 > 0:06:16be a tough match. And Dominic Thiem, Tim has spoken
0:06:16 > 0:06:20about the wind-up on the shots, which is suited to the clay courts
0:06:20 > 0:06:25but he has a big serve as well?If there is one area of his game that
0:06:25 > 0:06:30you would want him to work on, he is 24 years of age now, over the next
0:06:30 > 0:06:35two or three years, he is already a brilliant player, twice the
0:06:35 > 0:06:38semi-finalist in the French Open, it is his defence, the understanding of
0:06:38 > 0:06:45where he is in court. That takes time. We have seen it with Zverev.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49For Thiem, his development is surely on the defence. The backhand slice
0:06:49 > 0:06:54is not a great shot and how to get the best out of his game. He has to
0:06:54 > 0:07:00figure it out. He has a hard time undoing Goffin, like a lot of
0:07:00 > 0:07:05people. I suppose that I have to go with Goffin, as Tim had first choice
0:07:05 > 0:07:10here. But it is very much a 50/50 match. I think that Thiem is
0:07:10 > 0:07:16slightly favoured today. He has been one of my favourites for so long.
0:07:16 > 0:07:23Look at him, bantamweight. He is under 6ft. Everyone is over. I hope
0:07:23 > 0:07:29that people enjoy watching the way that he plays.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34Andrew, the head-to-head is 6-3 in favour of Goffin. He beat Nadal in
0:07:34 > 0:07:39the opening match, though?It emphasises how difficult it is to
0:07:39 > 0:07:45pick. He played an incredible match. Rafa was struggling with the knees,
0:07:45 > 0:07:50and had to pull out but still a fantastic achievement. He has taken
0:07:50 > 0:07:55Cabinet Office from it. Coming on to the court, you would think he is
0:07:55 > 0:08:02feeling good about the game but he has had -- he has taken on
0:08:02 > 0:08:08confidence from it. So, we will talk more about the
0:08:08 > 0:08:13match but back to last night. Most of the tennis world would have
0:08:13 > 0:08:18expected a win for Alexander Zverev against the man in real form, Jack
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Sock but Sock beat the 20-year-old German to become the first American
0:08:22 > 0:08:27to reach the semi-finals here since and Andy Roddick in 2007. So what
0:08:27 > 0:08:35happened to Alexander Zverev?I choked. Easy. 6-1, I was up.A point
0:08:35 > 0:08:41penalty. Then I was down 1-4 in ten minutes, I didn't put the balls in
0:08:41 > 0:08:48the court. When I got back at 4-5, it was are the worst game I played
0:08:48 > 0:08:55all year. So I just choked.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00You can't get more honest than that? It was a tight match. Tim was saying
0:09:00 > 0:09:03that there is history between that pair.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Jack Sock got under his skin, which is why he choked. So well done Jack
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Sock for doing that. As well as producing the tennis, he got to his
0:09:11 > 0:09:17opponent. It's a learning curve, the kid is 20 years of age. When he
0:09:17 > 0:09:21learns how to handle it, and puts himself in these position, which he
0:09:21 > 0:09:27will, he will get better at handling it. He is still a world number one.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31At 20 years old, he is very young for a tennis player.
0:09:31 > 0:09:37. He is three in the world. He has taken advantage of some of the guys
0:09:37 > 0:09:42being out of the equation, I would put Djokovic, and Andy Murray ahead
0:09:42 > 0:09:47of him. But he has to point of view thing, his forehand is vulnerable.
0:09:47 > 0:09:52He can improve that on the off season. He has made big strides but
0:09:52 > 0:09:57he will get stronger and grow into his body more and understanding how
0:09:57 > 0:10:01to deal with different scenarios on the court. Mentally there he
0:10:01 > 0:10:05appreciates he got distracted and the performance went down. But he
0:10:05 > 0:10:11managed to fight his way back in but played a poor game at the end. So it
0:10:11 > 0:10:16ends his year on a sour note but reflect a fantastic year overall and
0:10:16 > 0:10:21bigger and better things in 2018. When Jack Sock was asked if he was
0:10:21 > 0:10:26surprised to be in the semi-finals, he was saying he was surprised even
0:10:26 > 0:10:31to be here. But he is on a winning streak, and success breeds success?
0:10:31 > 0:10:36Very much so. Him playing Federer, it was a match
0:10:36 > 0:10:42he did not expect to win, he didn't win but he got the opportunity to
0:10:42 > 0:10:47play in the atmosphere, in the environment and he did well in the
0:10:47 > 0:10:50next two matches and deserves his place in the semis.
0:10:50 > 0:10:57He does. So, who plays in the finals here, it
0:10:57 > 0:11:04is to be seen. But talking of the strokes that the team has, will Jack
0:11:04 > 0:11:09Sock have to shorten his swings to play indoors?Think so.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14On clay, the big swings are not a problem. But on the quicker
0:11:14 > 0:11:20surfaces, looking at how to return the serve, he waits and then changes
0:11:20 > 0:11:25for the backhand and forehand grip. So he has to learn to use the block
0:11:25 > 0:11:30to get the ball in play. Use a shorter swing on the return of
0:11:30 > 0:11:35serve. And if playing to the baseline, shorten the swings again.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40But still, he is a great player, with good results indoors. But this
0:11:40 > 0:11:49is a big match. And then interesting Foranic Noah to
0:11:49 > 0:11:53see how this man is playing as it is France against businessmen next
0:11:53 > 0:11:58week?It is a quick turn around going from here to France. So a lot
0:11:58 > 0:12:01is on Goffin's plate. Tim, thank you very much. Andrew,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03over to you.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04Tim, thank you very much. Andrew, over to you.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Sue, thank you very much indeed. The crowd are looking forward to this
0:12:07 > 0:12:19one as we all. What a prize to play Federer in the semifinal.
0:14:51 > 0:14:57Now that's a way. A reward for Goffin, who after hitting the
0:14:57 > 0:15:02forehand, recovered to the backhand side to the open court. He made
0:15:02 > 0:15:16Thiem think he had to hit a better shot than he actually did.
0:15:50 > 0:15:56A big, heavy kick-serve. Only 102 miles an hour but really rising up
0:15:56 > 0:16:01to the Goffin camp. That is 13 of the last 15 games that
0:16:01 > 0:16:06Goffin has lost. I don't think it will bother him too much. He was
0:16:06 > 0:16:11duffed the other day. He had a day off. A bruising encounter to only
0:16:11 > 0:16:16pick up two games. First serve placement from Dominic Thiem. We
0:16:16 > 0:16:22have spoke been how heavy it is. The red areas unreturned.
0:16:22 > 0:16:29But a lot of body especially on the backhand side. Interesting to see if
0:16:29 > 0:16:39he goes into the body on the backhand side today.
0:16:55 > 0:17:02Unbeaten in this Davis Cup run, Sue was telling us there, in the final
0:17:02 > 0:17:07against France in Lille this week. He has won all four of his singles
0:17:07 > 0:17:17matches this year, Goffin.
0:18:00 > 0:18:11Oh! Oxygen to Centre Court! That was definitely getting into anaerobic
0:18:11 > 0:18:19territory. Check your Fitbit after that! 100m, Thiem ran.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23We had the statistics yesterday, Federer and Cilic, there was not a
0:18:23 > 0:18:29rally of more than nine shots. Because Roger didn't want there be
0:18:29 > 0:18:40to. -- didn't want there to be.
0:18:40 > 0:18:47This is a horrible serve. We always say you have to put in the
0:18:47 > 0:18:51present tense and Goffin has to put the Grigor Dimitrov match behind
0:18:51 > 0:19:05him. Only two break points down here.
0:19:05 > 0:19:14That's a good second serve but the forehand doesn't find the mark.
0:19:17 > 0:19:23Dominic Thiem so far. He's played 26 tournaments this year. A great
0:19:23 > 0:19:28supporter of the Tour. The most of anybody in this field.
0:19:28 > 0:19:35Just behind him is Goffin with 25. The two top, Nadal and Federer have
0:19:35 > 0:19:39played 17 and 16 tournaments respectively. Quite a lot less.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42It is also important to remember that six of those events with
0:19:42 > 0:19:52two-week events.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58You think about the time on the road if you are playing 18 tournaments,
0:19:58 > 0:20:06it is 24 weeks. You are probably there the week before, it's a good
0:20:06 > 0:20:1728 weeks on the road.
0:21:57 > 0:22:02Kristina, the world Number 11. And Dominic Thiem delighted with the
0:22:02 > 0:22:10start he has made. Both players have had splendid years
0:22:10 > 0:22:17to be here. Last year, Goffin was here as a alternate when Monfils
0:22:17 > 0:22:21pulled out. Goffin picked up two titles on the right-hand side of
0:22:21 > 0:22:27your screen there. A semi-finalist in Monte Carlo and a quarterfinalist
0:22:27 > 0:22:35in the Australian Open. A 55-year match best which is a career high.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Dominic Thiem, semifinal in the French Open where he lost to Nadal
0:22:39 > 0:22:43but he beat Novak Djokovic there. A tremendous effort. Two semi-finals
0:22:43 > 0:22:49now on his favoured, clay. Just that one title. A lot less hard
0:22:49 > 0:22:57court wins. He call him The Dominator. You can see why.
0:22:57 > 0:23:07He used to have a backhand swing but his coach got him to change it back
0:23:07 > 0:23:13to single. . In this day and age to have a
0:23:13 > 0:23:18single handed backhand, it really has to be a top, top shot. His is
0:23:18 > 0:23:25right up there with the best. A brave move to change.
0:23:25 > 0:23:36Not afraid of hard work, they say.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50From Goffin's point of view, getting off to a start like, this you want a
0:23:50 > 0:23:55few cheat points. Bang down a few unreturnable serves but he doesn't
0:23:55 > 0:24:06really have that weapon.
0:24:18 > 0:24:27They both help. Keen to get his side of the
0:24:27 > 0:24:38scoreboard moving a little quicker than he did against Dimitrov.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42He's had five victories against players in the top ten this year.
0:24:42 > 0:24:59The latest of those against Rafa Nadal, here on Monday evening.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07He's kind of a throw his back player, isn't he? You can imagine
0:25:07 > 0:25:12him playing in the old days before the bigger rackets came in. He has
0:25:12 > 0:25:17the touch and the feel. The ability to explode out of the ball and take
0:25:17 > 0:25:21the racket out of the opposition's hand, that's not the way he gets his
0:25:21 > 0:25:32winning done.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43He just buzzes about making life difficult for an opponent. He can
0:26:43 > 0:26:53nullify anybody's power.
0:27:04 > 0:27:13Error! Error! Error!
0:27:39 > 0:27:49Well that was a horrible game. One of Goffin's strengths is his
0:27:49 > 0:27:57consistency. He very rarely loses early in tournaments. He brings, if
0:27:57 > 0:28:00not his A-game, certainly a solid B game, which is what you have to do
0:28:00 > 0:28:05most of the time. He bring it is every single week. Looking back at
0:28:05 > 0:28:11his year, the quarterfinal at the Australian Open, the final at
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Rotterdam, the semi-finals at Monte Carlo, and at Madrid. And through
0:28:15 > 0:28:20the heart courts in the summer. It is one of the a facets of the game
0:28:20 > 0:28:24that people have noticed is the rise of youngsters with Alexander Zverev
0:28:24 > 0:28:31here but in the finals in Milan for the 21 and unders, there was a
0:28:31 > 0:28:37showcase of real talent. He is one of them. It is encouraging, this
0:28:37 > 0:28:40next generation may be coming through. Who do you like best out of
0:28:40 > 0:28:50that generation?Shabalov, he looks pretty useful.
0:28:50 > 0:28:59Rubalev is OK. Medvedev?He looks OK. There are a
0:28:59 > 0:29:05few kinks that need ironing out. Chunk who won in Milan?Yeah, he is
0:29:05 > 0:29:12very good. Very impressive. A good mover.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17Quincy played as well, the Italian. A lot of elements of that new,
0:29:17 > 0:29:23excellent new event in Milan. It will be introduced on the Tour over
0:29:23 > 0:29:40the years, I think. Back on serve.
0:30:02 > 0:30:11When the errors start flowing waters Thiem do? He can't just hit it
0:30:11 > 0:30:16harder -- what does Thiem do?
0:30:34 > 0:30:38You see, as far as he is concerned, he's thrown to three of his best
0:30:38 > 0:30:43shots and the ball has come back. David Goffin keeps on asking this
0:30:43 > 0:30:48question, which could account for the head-to-head, which is 6-3
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Goffin.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Eight straight points. 3-3.
0:30:59 > 0:31:06I think for Thiem to progress he has to find solutions on the other
0:31:06 > 0:31:09surfaces. He can obviously play fantastic tennis with his power and
0:31:09 > 0:31:16consistency on a clay court, but on a hard court, a slightly faster
0:31:16 > 0:31:18indoor court, he can't suddenly have six or seven minutes like that when
0:31:18 > 0:31:23he has made a lot of unforced errors and given the initiative back.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35Bye bye. Nine straight points.
0:31:40 > 0:31:47It is more than that because he won the game to go 3-1, Goffin.Yeah.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Come on, maths man.I thought I said at some stage Goffin needed a few
0:32:18 > 0:32:23cheap points on his server when he was 0-15 and then he won four
0:32:23 > 0:32:29straight. But I'm slightly Gesink but I would say that's 14 in a row.
0:32:29 > 0:32:39-- guessing.That therefore means Thiem will win this point for sure.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41This is a complete collapse.
0:32:45 > 0:32:53How interesting. That my man would be so dominating.
0:33:15 > 0:33:27APPLAUSE This is right up there with Stan
0:33:27 > 0:33:32Wawrinka's backhand in terms of the production of the shot. Wawrinka has
0:33:32 > 0:33:36a much better slice backhand.
0:33:42 > 0:33:50And that's the way as well. This is difficult for Thiem and his
0:33:50 > 0:33:57supporters to watch, from 3-0 up to 3-4 down. Amazing. Gunter Bresnik
0:33:57 > 0:34:03who works with him is quick to praise his young charge for the work
0:34:03 > 0:34:07effort, the effort he puts in and workload he is prepared to shoulder.
0:34:07 > 0:34:15Gunter Bresnik has been with many players over the year including
0:34:15 > 0:34:21Boris Becker. At the moment he is looking over their saying what have
0:34:21 > 0:34:24I got to do? He hates his forehand. You've got to figure it out
0:34:24 > 0:34:33yourself. Dedicated and diligent on the practice court, all of these
0:34:33 > 0:34:36things. There is Gunter Bresnik but there cannot be any communication
0:34:36 > 0:34:40and you don't mind that, you'd think that should stay the same.Yes, I
0:34:40 > 0:34:45did I think it's one of the great features of our sport, it one
0:34:45 > 0:34:49against one and when things are not going well you have to work it out,
0:34:49 > 0:34:52whether it is tactically or technically. You've got to find the
0:34:52 > 0:34:58solutions.At the next gen finals in one of the innovations was to get
0:34:58 > 0:35:02headphones on players and the coaches as well and they could talk
0:35:02 > 0:35:09to each other and we could listen in. It was great.Until they start
0:35:09 > 0:35:14speaking Polish.Well, in that case we need subtitles quickly! Unless,
0:35:14 > 0:35:20of course, you understand Polish. You can tell from the body language.
0:35:20 > 0:35:26I like it on the women's two when the coaches come on the court. I
0:35:26 > 0:35:33take your point. It is entertaining. We are moving into a computer age.
0:35:33 > 0:35:43Getting right in the action. New tennis balls, 4- with break. -- 4-3
0:35:43 > 0:35:44with break.
0:35:50 > 0:35:55He's looking straight over at Gunter Bresnik, who again, could be looking
0:35:55 > 0:36:02at his mum or his partner, Kristina Mladenovic. Could be looking at
0:36:02 > 0:36:04anybody.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18There is another one. Goffin will see this and just hit the ball there
0:36:18 > 0:36:21all day long until the team works it out.Where Goffin has been
0:36:21 > 0:36:25impressive command in a funny way against Dimitrov he never lost his
0:36:25 > 0:36:29cool, never tapped out mentally, and even after a terrible start he has
0:36:29 > 0:36:37really stayed calm. He has shown lots of experience to bide his time.
0:36:37 > 0:36:42And all of a sudden 4-3, 30-0, things looking good for him not me.
0:37:02 > 0:37:08That's a nice injection of pace. Everything is under control for
0:37:08 > 0:37:19Goffin. When he's playing well, big change of pace, he will throw in 100
0:37:19 > 0:37:26mph serve, he can get up to 125. That is at 104, just throwing it
0:37:26 > 0:37:36out.104 and 72% of first serves finding their mark for Goffin.
0:37:36 > 0:37:45Thierry Van Cleemput works with David Goffin. 3-0 two Thiem and 5-3
0:37:45 > 0:37:54to Goffin. -- to Thiem.
0:39:08 > 0:39:15Nice game, four straight points for Thiem, something to work with.
0:39:15 > 0:39:22Goffin will serve for the set. I like a game like that to set up a
0:39:22 > 0:39:28break effort.You like a game like that when you've lost five in a row.
0:39:28 > 0:39:33Thiem really has to get back to his game plan of really trying to bully
0:39:33 > 0:39:38Goffin without making unforced errors. At the beginning he was very
0:39:38 > 0:39:43patient, he won 12 of the first 15 points when he wasn't making those
0:39:43 > 0:39:48mistakes. Controlled aggression. But when the balance goes too far and he
0:39:48 > 0:39:52makes the mistakes, that's when he invites his opponent back into the
0:39:52 > 0:40:01match.Both men you are watching today men's fathers were tennis
0:40:01 > 0:40:04coaches. Dominic Thiem employs Gunter Bresnik as his coach now.
0:40:04 > 0:40:09Gunter Bresnik used to employ Dominic's father at his tennis
0:40:09 > 0:40:19academy as a coach in Vienna. He has worked with him from a very young
0:40:19 > 0:40:24age. It must be a moment of great pride for everybody involved to see
0:40:24 > 0:40:29your protege, your son, your people, making it all the way to the
0:40:29 > 0:40:36season-ending finale. Brilliant -- Europe you kill. Even if it was you
0:40:36 > 0:40:46that was here twice. -- pupil. You could never tell what your mum and
0:40:46 > 0:40:50dad were thinking when they were watching you. Did you know they were
0:40:50 > 0:40:55up there every time?Yes. My mum enjoyed it, they both enjoyed it but
0:40:55 > 0:40:59my dad was definitely the nervous one.You couldn't tell.
0:41:14 > 0:41:20You cannot miss that. It is another forehand mistake on the first point
0:41:20 > 0:41:22in again when you have to break.
0:41:53 > 0:41:59Nerves.
0:42:33 > 0:42:45That's a great point. Thiem just cannot break this man down.It's
0:42:45 > 0:42:49difficult to break an opponent down when hitting shots from seven,
0:42:49 > 0:42:52eight, nine feet behind the baseline, as hard as he is hitting
0:42:52 > 0:42:56the ball has to travel that much further and Goffin has chance to get
0:42:56 > 0:43:00in position and dictate play from a bit closer up to the baseline.
0:43:09 > 0:43:14Just wide, and it's going upstairs and Thiem hangs his head. He was
0:43:14 > 0:43:23there. Goffin sliced across the volley. It was just going away from
0:43:23 > 0:43:33Thiem at the end here. Has he caught that? Good call.Small margins at
0:43:33 > 0:43:34important times.
0:43:49 > 0:43:57And Goffin does find the mark on the forehand pass. Wonderful set of
0:43:57 > 0:44:03tennis for Goffin, from 3-0 down, Thiem so disappointed with that. The
0:44:03 > 0:44:07first set 6-4 with the prize of facing Roger Federer in the
0:44:07 > 0:44:15semifinal. Tremendous effort. The work he has put in. He hasn't gone
0:44:15 > 0:44:19over, perhaps he caught himself with his mail coming through on the
0:44:19 > 0:44:25backhand side.I think it was one of the big lunges when he was really
0:44:25 > 0:44:30getting low and caught his knee on the ground. Let's look at the stats.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34Come on then. The parade of knowledge from Tim Henman.Net point
0:44:34 > 0:44:41Swann, not a lot of net point action. Not a lot of winners. -- net
0:44:41 > 0:44:48points won.Come on, more.12 unforced errors to Thiem, they came
0:44:48 > 0:44:51as the set progressed.I've noticed on the second page of the graphics
0:44:51 > 0:44:59you normally warm up.Well, yes. Total distance run, disappointing,
0:44:59 > 0:45:06only 579 metres.100 metres from Thiem was in one rally.Five
0:45:06 > 0:45:11rallies, over nine shots. Now this is where something of interest,
0:45:11 > 0:45:16Thiem at 46% first serves, not good enough, 71% is impressive from
0:45:16 > 0:45:21Goffin, winning, good percentage when it goes in, 76%. Both players
0:45:21 > 0:45:27struggling on second serve as well. It's like having a series of rev
0:45:27 > 0:45:31counters and the temperature of the engine and the oil filters, or
0:45:31 > 0:45:35whatever. It's all there somewhere. CHUCKLES
0:45:35 > 0:45:41That was a really poor effort. It's as best you can do with some of
0:45:41 > 0:45:45these things because it's about a point or two here and there, Thiem
0:45:45 > 0:45:50missing the past and Gough on making Thiem's life difficult.If you break
0:45:50 > 0:45:57down the set, it was 3-0, great play by Thiem, and then there hasn't
0:45:57 > 0:46:05really been a moment where they have both played their best tennis at the
0:46:05 > 0:46:10same time.We are having that little cut attended to serve it will take a
0:46:10 > 0:46:22few extra seconds here. Stick a plaster on it, it's fine. Any sort
0:46:22 > 0:46:27of break now for Dominic Thiem greatly received, I would imagine.
0:46:27 > 0:46:35He also works with Alex Tober who is an experienced trainer and physio,
0:46:35 > 0:46:46so the team are in position, number four in the world. Still a lot of
0:46:46 > 0:46:51improvement is possible in the game, and yet already a really big name in
0:46:51 > 0:47:00the game. Dimitrov against Carreno Busta tonight. Then we are into the
0:47:00 > 0:47:04semifinals and final over the weekend. We look forward to it.
0:47:04 > 0:47:09Federer has been favourite to win the season-ending championship from
0:47:09 > 0:47:15the word go. Rafael Nadal pulled out after one match and even more so.
0:47:15 > 0:47:22But Jack Sock this through. That will have surprised some people.
0:47:22 > 0:47:30Federer will play the winner of this match here.
0:47:34 > 0:47:40So, we have had an investigation. I'm not quite sure how he did that.
0:47:40 > 0:47:47How did he do that?It's the back leg just catching the surface, which
0:47:47 > 0:47:52is still fairly abrasive, just takes the skin off. If he played a bit
0:47:52 > 0:47:56closer to the baseline and was more aggressive he wouldn't do so much
0:47:56 > 0:48:00running and wouldn't cut his knee.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14Pretty good effort to get low enough, isn't it? There is no Andy
0:48:14 > 0:48:20Murray this week, the defending champion, who appeared in last
0:48:20 > 0:48:24year's final with Novak Djokovic. Andy Murray had an amazing end to
0:48:24 > 0:48:32last year, he went all the way to number one in the world. At the
0:48:32 > 0:48:35moment hip problems keeping Andy Murray out of the limelight and off
0:48:35 > 0:48:41the court. He was here this week, happy to be on site at the
0:48:41 > 0:48:45tournament feeling part of it. You played with him at the Andy Murray
0:48:45 > 0:48:50live event in Glasgow, hit a few balls against him on the doubles
0:48:50 > 0:48:55court.That's right. It was pretty much an ideal time for him to play
0:48:55 > 0:49:02his match against Roger Federer. Raised a lot of money for charity,
0:49:02 > 0:49:06but also gave him a chance to see where he is at on his comeback. He
0:49:06 > 0:49:12has still got a ways to go but moving in the right direction.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15Coming here to hit with some of the guys gives him another indication of
0:49:15 > 0:49:18where he's at.
0:49:44 > 0:49:52UMPIRE:Mr Gove fan is challenging the call -- Goffin.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56Neither player into much doubt that this was wide. Judging from their
0:49:56 > 0:50:00court positions now.
0:51:49 > 0:51:51APPLAUSE
0:52:00 > 0:52:06Just from around and about in the world of tennis, congratulations to
0:52:06 > 0:52:09Sarah Clark, Championships director at the All-England Club for a number
0:52:09 > 0:52:11of years where she has been responsible for the organisation of
0:52:11 > 0:52:16the Championships at Wimbledon. Not somebody you may know but an
0:52:16 > 0:52:20important figure behind-the-scenes. She has been approved for the
0:52:20 > 0:52:29appointment of Black Rod. We must congratulate her for that, the first
0:52:29 > 0:52:34such a role to go to a woman in the 650 year history of that position,
0:52:34 > 0:52:40so many congratulations and appointed by the Queen herself and
0:52:40 > 0:52:54well done, Sarah Clarke, a big loss to the tournament. Black Rod's that
0:52:54 > 0:52:59one that goes at the opening of the Queen's speech and everything, the
0:52:59 > 0:53:02opening of the door, she smacks on the door. Sarah will be good at
0:53:02 > 0:53:11that.I wouldn't argue with her.No, she clearly knows how to maintain
0:53:11 > 0:53:13some control. Congratulations.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11These errors, this is a disappointment at the end of a
0:56:11 > 0:56:15really wonderful week of tennis. We have seen so much good tennis,
0:56:15 > 0:56:21despite some of the big names not being here. Know Novak, Rafa pulling
0:56:21 > 0:56:26out, no Andy, Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori not here. But the tennis
0:56:26 > 0:56:31has been great.
0:56:32 > 0:56:37He has got no answers, has he, at the moment? Davidoff and is
0:56:37 > 0:56:41continuing to ask a series of difficult questions. -- David
0:56:41 > 0:56:49Goffin. Is set and a break but still a long way from home for David
0:56:49 > 0:56:55Goffin at a career-high of April in the world with a couple of victories
0:56:55 > 0:56:59in Shenzhen and Japan in Tokyo, semifinalist in Basel this year, an
0:56:59 > 0:57:07impressive year indeed. His dad is also a tennis coach in Liege. Who
0:57:07 > 0:57:15that up there? A very fine recovery after getting hammered by Grigor
0:57:15 > 0:57:20Dimitrov, don't you think?It is an impressive recovery and taking into
0:57:20 > 0:57:26account that he was 3-0 down in the first set, won eight of the next ten
0:57:26 > 0:57:30games, he has just remained patient, stuck to his game and executed it
0:57:30 > 0:57:38better, whereas with Thiem you are just saying, is it time to turn to
0:57:38 > 0:57:41plan B? I'm not sure what it would be. Or is it just do plan a much
0:57:41 > 0:57:47better. As with the case with a lot of these guys, it is about doing
0:57:47 > 0:57:52plan a a lot better.He's doing very well, watch this, we will keep the
0:57:52 > 0:57:57camera on him. He almost went when that lady pointed. They have
0:57:57 > 0:58:04responded well to the Stevie Wonder track. They know what's coming. Come
0:58:04 > 0:58:07on, yes. You've got to find those ones that said they would work from
0:58:07 > 0:58:12home this afternoon. CHUCKLES
0:58:12 > 0:58:14The lights have gone down.
0:58:22 > 0:58:29We will see if this match catches fire, as it were, but it is a set
0:58:29 > 0:58:32and 2-1 at the moment to David Goffin looking to play Federer in
0:58:32 > 0:58:35the semifinals.
0:59:08 > 0:59:18APPLAUSE
0:59:40 > 0:59:42APPLAUSE
1:01:25 > 1:01:30Interesting to see if we get a replay of the second serve inside
1:01:30 > 1:01:35our commentary box. It looked tight to the line. If he had challenged
1:01:35 > 1:01:46it, it would have been out.
1:01:48 > 1:01:54This is where the next generation automatic line calls are a good
1:01:54 > 1:01:59thing. I love Hawk-Eye. There is no point in having the technology there
1:01:59 > 1:02:04if you're not going to go to it. I like the element of the challenge
1:02:04 > 1:02:08so, that the players have to think about when they use it, if they use
1:02:08 > 1:02:17it. Oh! What a second serve! Absolutely
1:02:17 > 1:02:22be if youedling Thiem there. He skipped around the back end and
1:02:22 > 1:02:28Goffin slips it down the middle at 94 miles an hour. He's a tennis
1:02:28 > 1:02:38player. Really gifted.
1:02:44 > 1:02:48A little ways to go before Goffin can think about that.
1:02:48 > 1:03:09He should have lost that serve, shouldn't sne He? Goffin has lost to
1:03:09 > 1:03:15Dimitrov two days ago.
1:03:39 > 1:03:46If you have a chance do catch a bit of Roger Federer tomorrow afternoon.
1:03:46 > 1:03:51To say he is doing well, it is a bit of an understatement. He is a
1:03:51 > 1:04:02phenomena, really.
1:05:25 > 1:05:31Dear oh, dear. That forehand is a bit like Alexander Zverev against
1:05:31 > 1:05:36Jack Sock last evening. Just really letting him down.
1:05:36 > 1:05:43The young gun's not firing. Break point for Goffin for the
1:05:43 > 1:05:49double break.
1:06:16 > 1:06:20Well done David Goffin. He is doing everything right.
1:06:20 > 1:06:24To think he was down in the first set.
1:06:24 > 1:06:31Now he is 4-1 up. Amazing. I think Goffin made eight or nine
1:06:31 > 1:06:36unforced errors in the first three games. Only making three forced
1:06:36 > 1:06:43errors since. He's won ten of the last 12 games. Very solid.
1:06:43 > 1:06:49errors since. He's won ten of the last 12 games. Very solid.
1:06:49 > 1:06:56HeHe has just done enough. And just his ability to change that
1:06:56 > 1:07:00direction of the ball. To change the spin, the height over the net. There
1:07:00 > 1:07:05is still room for it in the game, isn't there? You don't need a mighty
1:07:05 > 1:07:09serve, either. It's the case of using what your opponent is throwing
1:07:09 > 1:07:15at you and making his life difficult down the other end. That remains the
1:07:15 > 1:07:19essence of this game. People get wrapped in up in playing their own
1:07:19 > 1:07:24game. Dominating but what happens if the opponent does something you were
1:07:24 > 1:07:28not expecting? You have to fall back on something. It is not thought
1:07:28 > 1:07:33about enough. It is easy to focus on people's
1:07:33 > 1:07:38offensive skills. Watching Federer, he has great defensive skills. I
1:07:38 > 1:07:42believe that the top four are the best players in the world as they
1:07:42 > 1:07:49defend so well. Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray. There are so
1:07:49 > 1:07:56many times that they stay in the rally, they don't have forced
1:07:56 > 1:08:00errors, they don't make their opponent hit.
1:08:00 > 1:08:11He's a mini one of them.
1:09:26 > 1:09:31103 mile an hour serve. Straight into the forehand, buried it in the
1:09:31 > 1:09:37bottom of the net. You're not going to give yourself
1:09:37 > 1:09:51chance to get back into matches if you're missing shots like that.
1:10:53 > 1:11:01It was the first serve that was accurately placed but at 106 miles
1:11:01 > 1:11:07an hour, you've got to find a way to get the ball back in play. Down a
1:11:07 > 1:11:19set, 4-1, break point. You want to try to get one of the breaks back.
1:11:19 > 1:11:24Waste of a challenge this one. You can see right down the centre line.
1:11:24 > 1:11:38I think he must be hope for some Hawk-Eye malfunction.
1:11:57 > 1:12:03It's no good trying to hit a half volley becomehander from the back of
1:12:03 > 1:12:11the court, then waving your arms to your boss to say what happened?! --
1:12:11 > 1:12:20backhander.
1:12:32 > 1:12:43Hard and harder.
1:13:04 > 1:13:10He's dealt with some adversity in his career. He was Comeback Player
1:13:10 > 1:13:15of the Year in 2014. He had a terrible wrist injury that kept him
1:13:15 > 1:13:29out for ages. It's difficult to watch.
1:13:29 > 1:13:34Started the year 110 in 2014 after the wrist injury. Won three
1:13:34 > 1:13:39challenges and a Tour event during the summer. Actually won 25 straight
1:13:39 > 1:13:48matches in a row at one point. Trying to create new highs now,
1:13:48 > 1:13:54getting over the winning line. It's never easy.
1:13:54 > 1:14:00A massive game here. If he goes 5-1, he knows he's just a little shuffle
1:14:00 > 1:14:11from the win.
1:14:34 > 1:14:46The crowd is desperate for some more tennis here.
1:15:07 > 1:15:12See, that's a ball you're going to practice for the next six or seven
1:15:12 > 1:15:21weeks before Australia. Getting pulled on the backhand, and
1:15:21 > 1:15:30sliced, not really a difficult shot. It speaks volumes for Thiem's
1:15:30 > 1:15:34offensive abilities that he's been able to get to number four in the
1:15:34 > 1:15:43world without having the sort of defence that you would expect.
1:15:43 > 1:15:48I think he has defensive skills on a clay-court but I think watching this
1:15:48 > 1:15:55performance, we can see that he's lacking in that category on a hard
1:15:55 > 1:16:06court, or an indoor court.
1:16:27 > 1:16:33A slight lack of footwork there, maybe a little nervous. He can see
1:16:33 > 1:16:40the finish line up. He doesn't want to let his opponent back in.
1:16:40 > 1:16:44119 miles an hour is his max today, his comfortable max. He can probably
1:16:44 > 1:16:51push that out to 122. But that's his effort serve. Time and time again he
1:16:51 > 1:17:01hits that number. He's a model of consistency.
1:17:25 > 1:17:30That's a great change-up that wide serve. 87 miles an hour. Thiem
1:17:30 > 1:17:33looking to get the forehand into play by skipping around the backhand
1:17:33 > 1:17:45again. A tough game, this.
1:18:41 > 1:18:53The Goffin barely hit a serve up the T.
1:19:06 > 1:19:16What a game to get. 11 minutes plus and Goffin take as giant stride
1:19:16 > 1:19:20towards a final with Roger Federer. That's tomorrow afternoon.
1:19:20 > 1:19:35Having been #3 down in the first set, remarkable.
1:19:40 > 1:19:51Not a great match but an interesting one.
1:20:06 > 1:20:11He has not only qualified here for the first time outright, although he
1:20:11 > 1:20:27was an alternative last year. He was leading the line with Steve Darcis
1:20:27 > 1:20:38with the Belgium team.
1:21:01 > 1:21:04To take your team to the Davis Cup final for the second time in three
1:21:04 > 1:21:12years is a tremendous effort. He was the man Murray beat at the
1:21:12 > 1:21:23Flanders Expo in Gent.
1:21:34 > 1:21:43With the greatest backhand lob I've ever seen! It was wonderful.
1:22:06 > 1:22:14Hour and nine minutes. This had seemed unlikely.
1:22:14 > 1:22:24Now for a chance for a place in the semifinal.
1:22:34 > 1:22:45Worth a look, isn't it?
1:22:54 > 1:23:07Goffin's heart beat will be doing in a moment if he serves for this.
1:24:02 > 1:24:05Clean work on the backhand side and David Goffin was not here to make
1:24:05 > 1:24:13the numbers. He has dried Dominic Thiem, 6-4, 6-1. Just an hour and 11
1:24:13 > 1:24:17minutes. A huge disappointment to end the season that way for the
1:24:17 > 1:24:23Austrian, of course. But David Goffin, without overly celebrating
1:24:23 > 1:24:28in front of his vanquished opponent, that's a touch of class, he must sob
1:24:28 > 1:24:35delighted. What a tremendous effort. And having been so soundly beaten by
1:24:35 > 1:24:41Dimitrov, to come back and produce that performance. Impressive.
1:24:41 > 1:24:47Winning 12 out of the last 14 games in that match. A strange week for
1:24:47 > 1:24:51David Goffin. Dominic Thiem will be back. A tremendous year and there is
1:24:51 > 1:24:57more ahead. Including hard work on his defence, that he will know
1:24:57 > 1:25:04better than everybody. Rather like Zverev last eving here at the O2
1:25:04 > 1:25:08against Jack Sock. Not able to produce his best tennis when it
1:25:08 > 1:25:13really mattered. But Goffin is through. He will play Roger Federer
1:25:13 > 1:25:19in tomorrow's semifinal. 2.00pm BBC Two for that. Head-to-head between
1:25:19 > 1:25:25the two is six to Federer, Goffin zero. He struggles to get sets off,
1:25:25 > 1:25:29so Federer will be the favourite but Goffin is playing well. He is
1:25:29 > 1:25:34through to the semifinal here. Amazing. Very comfortable in the
1:25:34 > 1:25:36end. Let's get his thoughts now.
1:25:36 > 1:25:38Amazing. Very comfortable in the end. Let's get his thoughts now.
1:25:38 > 1:25:41Well, well played, David. A fantastic performance out here. Only
1:25:41 > 1:25:45an hour on court. Never easy to play against a great friend but give us
1:25:45 > 1:25:52your thoughts on the win?No, it is never easy. Yes, it was a pity to
1:25:52 > 1:25:56play against Dominic for the semifinal. He is such a good friend,
1:25:56 > 1:26:01such a nice guy. It was... Like you say it is never easy to play against
1:26:01 > 1:26:05a friend it was tough. That is why I was really focussed from the start
1:26:05 > 1:26:10to the end. I knew he to stay really calm and be ready for a tough
1:26:10 > 1:26:14battle. Yeah... At the end I'm really happy
1:26:14 > 1:26:19the way that I managed the match. I was really nervous at the end of the
1:26:19 > 1:26:24match but yeah, I managed to win the second set.You got the job done.
1:26:24 > 1:26:30You had a fantastic win against the world number one, Rafa Nadal and
1:26:30 > 1:26:34Monday. A difficult loss from Dimitrov, how did you manage to pick
1:26:34 > 1:26:39up your confidence to come to this today? It was not easy. Against
1:26:39 > 1:26:43Rafa, there was lots of energy on the court and then to come back
1:26:43 > 1:26:48against Grigor who is strong, I needed to be 110% on the court to
1:26:48 > 1:26:54play every rally. I was not ready for that on the second match. But I
1:26:54 > 1:26:58took a good rest yesterday. I took a good practice, I was ready
1:26:58 > 1:27:03for today. So I hope that I can do the same in the semifinal.
1:27:03 > 1:27:08Well, you mentioned the semi-finals. You're the first Belgium man into
1:27:08 > 1:27:11the ATP Finals, you are taking on Roger Federer tomorrow on this very
1:27:11 > 1:27:20court. What will it take to beat Roger out here?I have played Roger
1:27:20 > 1:27:25so many times. It is always a tough match to play Roger. It will be full
1:27:25 > 1:27:30on the day. A great atmosphere on the court it is nice to play a
1:27:30 > 1:27:34semifinal against him. I have nothing to lose. He is playing well
1:27:34 > 1:27:38but I'll try to raise my level to try to win against him.
1:27:38 > 1:27:44Well, we certainly look forward to it. Well den again today. David
1:27:44 > 1:27:50Goffin!Thank you. Well done indeed. A wonderful
1:27:50 > 1:27:54performance, after the demolition by Grigor Dimitrov. Andrew, he played
1:27:54 > 1:28:00well today but what happened to Thiem?It is like Goffin gave him
1:28:00 > 1:28:05the chance to hit himself, blow himself out, like a hurricane,
1:28:05 > 1:28:09really. He knocks the ball into difficult positions the whole time
1:28:09 > 1:28:14and Thiem didn't have the answers. That was a disappointment on behalf
1:28:14 > 1:28:18of Dominic Thiem but Goffin should be celebrated. A tremendous effort.
1:28:18 > 1:28:24It will not get easier against Roger in the semifinal.
1:28:24 > 1:28:29Look at the line-up, Federer against Goffin. 2.00pm tomorrow. You may not
1:28:29 > 1:28:37have picked that at the start of the week?No. Federer has done well.
1:28:37 > 1:28:41Federer getting through all three matches but he has been erratic. Now
1:28:41 > 1:28:47we are through to the semi-finals stage. It is all to play for.
1:28:47 > 1:28:50Now, Federer did not practice on Wednesday. Everyone is asking if
1:28:50 > 1:28:54there is an injury. Tim, you know him well, should we be worried?
1:28:54 > 1:28:59Definitely not. It is experience. He doesn't need to
1:28:59 > 1:29:02practice. We found shots of Jack Sock playing
1:29:02 > 1:29:07out on the court. Look at that. It is a bit chilly out there.
1:29:07 > 1:29:10There are areas of the place that are a little cold. But that is
1:29:10 > 1:29:15great. Father Christmas here was knocking the ball around. He's very
1:29:15 > 1:29:21comfortable here. Absolutely. Nothing better than a
1:29:21 > 1:29:24warm "sock" on a cold day! A wonderful performance from David
1:29:24 > 1:29:29Goffin. He lost two games to book his place in the semifinal tomorrow.
1:29:29 > 1:29:38We'll see you then. Goodbye. What a prize to play Federer in the
1:29:38 > 1:29:42semifinal. It's game on here. A wonderful set
1:29:42 > 1:29:52of tennis for Goffin. He's got no answer, has he? Young guns, not
1:29:52 > 1:29:56firing. Well done, David Goffin. He's doing absolutely everything
1:29:56 > 1:29:57right.