Men's Wheelchair Final

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:00:45. > :00:52.Well, luckily everybody knows the tune by now and you can have been

:00:53. > :00:57.humming along, there was silence on the opening titles. Welcome along to

:00:58. > :01:00.an afternoon of tennis action unlike any other, four British players in

:01:01. > :01:11.final two macro action, Andy Murray taking on the last Raonic on Centre

:01:12. > :01:14.Court -- in Finals Day action. We have Heather Watson and Henri

:01:15. > :01:19.continent in the Mixed Doubles and later on in the final of the women's

:01:20. > :01:23.Wheelchair Doubles, Jordanne Whiley alongside Yui Kamiji. I am here at

:01:24. > :01:28.Court 17, where there is a fair amount of uncertainty, because we

:01:29. > :01:35.don't know yet whether it is going to get covered or not. Alfie Hewett

:01:36. > :01:39.is alongside me. The new Wheelchair Doubles champion, alongside Gordon

:01:40. > :01:48.Reid, who will see in the singles and Peter Norfolk, known as the king

:01:49. > :01:53.of wheelchair tennis, the Quadfather. Alfie, congratulations,

:01:54. > :01:57.talk us through yesterday and how you are feeling this morning.

:01:58. > :02:02.Yesterday was a surreal day. I remember the previous night, I

:02:03. > :02:06.didn't get much sleep at all, thinking about what it would be like

:02:07. > :02:09.if I won and what it would feel like and then to win, it was an

:02:10. > :02:14.incredible feeling and to do it in the way we did, in the third set

:02:15. > :02:17.tie-break, having those match points, not getting them and taken

:02:18. > :02:22.them the third time, it kind of made that moment even more special. So

:02:23. > :02:28.going back to the hotel last night, it was just exhausting, I just kind

:02:29. > :02:33.of went to sleep, really, because I didn't get much sleep the day

:02:34. > :02:38.before, it was a long match and, so, yeah, enjoy the moment by myself. It

:02:39. > :02:44.was a tense match because the French player they were up against, Peter,

:02:45. > :02:48.came back strongly -- the French pair. It was a huge match and

:02:49. > :02:53.Houdet, the number one in singles, has such massive court presence. But

:02:54. > :03:02.Alfie Hewett and Gordon were amazing. Alfie particularly, he was

:03:03. > :03:06.aggressive, fantastic, up and down and really exciting to watch. We are

:03:07. > :03:10.hearing the players have been called out so we are hoping that play will

:03:11. > :03:14.start very shortly because Gordon, your doubles partner, is coming out

:03:15. > :03:18.to try and be the first-ever singles champion in wheelchair tennis at

:03:19. > :03:22.Wimbledon, they have never had a wheelchair competition before. In

:03:23. > :03:25.terms of recovery, Alfie, given the emotional physical and mental

:03:26. > :03:29.roller-coaster you went through yesterday, how is Gordon and head

:03:30. > :03:34.you think he will fare today? I think Gordon will have been smart

:03:35. > :03:39.with what he did yesterday. What, making you do all the work? Not at

:03:40. > :03:43.all, he played a massive part, but in the locker room, as soon as we

:03:44. > :03:49.got back in, he was in the physio, doing his recovery stock, not on his

:03:50. > :03:53.phone like me, looking at everybody tweeting me. He has been in this

:03:54. > :03:56.situation before, he knows how to look after himself and I think today

:03:57. > :04:01.will be a really tough match for him, Olsson is playing really well

:04:02. > :04:05.recently, but I believe that he has got the confidence right now and I

:04:06. > :04:08.think he will be fine. So Gordon Reid of Great Britain up against

:04:09. > :04:13.Stefan Olsson from Sweden. Let's hear from Gordon, his thoughts about

:04:14. > :04:16.this final. First of all, congratulations on the

:04:17. > :04:22.doubles success. What is the emotion at the moment, still feeling on our

:04:23. > :04:26.high? Definitely, it wasn't too long ago, the final, so feeling

:04:27. > :04:29.fantastic. It is a massive occasion for us today, first time playing

:04:30. > :04:34.together in a Grand Slam and obviously with a lot of home support

:04:35. > :04:37.backing us, so to come out on top was an incredible feeling. You have

:04:38. > :04:41.spoken to the number of people on a number of times about how special

:04:42. > :04:46.Wimbledon is and how much it means, I guess, because it is a home

:04:47. > :04:50.tournament. Yes, it is an event that pretty much everybody around the

:04:51. > :04:54.world knows of, it is a tournament that is steeped in tradition,

:04:55. > :04:58.something I grew up watching on TV. It is the one tournament that

:04:59. > :05:03.everyone in the UK watches, in the summer, so to be here and be a

:05:04. > :05:06.Wimbledon champion in the doubles with Alfie and also have the

:05:07. > :05:12.opportunity to make it a double success tomorrow, it is an amazing

:05:13. > :05:15.feeling. You had an amazing feeling here last week, though, didn't you

:05:16. > :05:21.question mark when you were in the Royal box and the Sue Barker

:05:22. > :05:25.announced you. -- didn't you? It has been a bit of a surreal week,

:05:26. > :05:28.starting off in the Royal box and then being involved in the draw, the

:05:29. > :05:32.first time there have been singles here, and then winning a couple of

:05:33. > :05:38.matches, the first match, the Duchess was watching me. So it has

:05:39. > :05:42.kind of been a crazy week so hopefully it can be a good ending

:05:43. > :05:47.tomorrow. Of course, this is a massive year. Not only is it the

:05:48. > :05:50.first time singles are in play at Wimbledon but it is Olympic year.

:05:51. > :05:58.How much pressure do you think there is to succeed this year? Well, I

:05:59. > :06:01.think there is maybe a little bit of pressure but when you are successful

:06:02. > :06:06.and you are playing well and performing well, people expect you

:06:07. > :06:09.to win more often, so I would rather be in that situation than losing

:06:10. > :06:14.every match and nobody expected me to win at having no pressure. It is

:06:15. > :06:18.a big year for us, this is a big event, having the singles here for

:06:19. > :06:25.the first time and obviously looking towards Rio and the Paralympics, it

:06:26. > :06:28.will be my third Games and definitely my best chance of coming

:06:29. > :06:32.home with a medal, so this is good preparation for that.

:06:33. > :06:37.And Gordon Reid has just arrived here on Court 17, Stefan Olsson as

:06:38. > :06:41.well. Olsson came out with his headphones on. Gordon is switching

:06:42. > :06:45.into his match chair, specially designed for wheelchairs tennis.

:06:46. > :06:49.Alfie Hewett alongside me, you have spent more time with Gordon than

:06:50. > :06:54.anybody in the last week. In terms of facing big occasions, what is he

:06:55. > :06:59.like? Well, he is very calm and that showed a lot in our doubles match

:07:00. > :07:03.yesterday. His presence on the court kept me calm at certain points

:07:04. > :07:08.during that match, because I was a bit fiery yesterday, with it being

:07:09. > :07:11.my first final. My intensity and my emotions were very high yesterday,

:07:12. > :07:16.but this isn't the first time Gordon has been in the final this year. He

:07:17. > :07:20.has been in the Australian Open and at Roland Garros as well, he has had

:07:21. > :07:24.that experience, so I am guessing right now that he will be relaxed

:07:25. > :07:28.and calm and that is when he plays his best tennis. How much does it

:07:29. > :07:32.mean to him to have a chance to be the first-ever singles champion here

:07:33. > :07:38.in wheelchair tennis? I know it means a lot to him. Just from

:07:39. > :07:40.hearing him talk in the press conference yesterday and speaking to

:07:41. > :07:44.me in person about it, I know that winning today would be a massive

:07:45. > :07:48.thing for him. Peter, how much other part of the crowd play? There is a

:07:49. > :07:53.big gang of friends and supporters, they were there for the doubles,

:07:54. > :07:58.chanting his nickname. That will be a big factor. We have had the same

:07:59. > :08:02.at the Paralympic Games. Here, I think the support will be massive

:08:03. > :08:06.for Gordon and he will really get up for it. Obviously, Gordon will be

:08:07. > :08:11.remembering very positively what happened in yesterday's doubles when

:08:12. > :08:15.he and Alfie came back from 5-2 down in the deciding set. They took it to

:08:16. > :08:21.a tie-break and this was the match point, finally converted on Gordon's

:08:22. > :08:25.serve. The mistake from their French opponents and the celebrations were

:08:26. > :08:31.a bit special. To be fair, he nearly broke my back, as you can see. I had

:08:32. > :08:35.to tell him to get off. It was one of those where I had dreams of what

:08:36. > :08:41.it would be like, whether I would cry, whether we would go in for hugs

:08:42. > :08:45.or fist pump, I didn't know what would happen. We came together and

:08:46. > :08:50.enjoyed the moment together as a team, because that is what we are.

:08:51. > :08:54.That was yesterday. Today, obviously a different day for Gordon Reid and

:08:55. > :08:57.a different challenge and a different style of play, singles

:08:58. > :09:03.rather than doubles. Does he can to stay on the baseline in singles,

:09:04. > :09:06.Alfie, or will we see him move up court? I think he will vary it a

:09:07. > :09:10.lot. Gordon has got a very good touch with his hands, we saw it

:09:11. > :09:13.yesterday with his drop shots and his volleys, so I wouldn't be

:09:14. > :09:18.surprised if he does try and approach the net a lot more,

:09:19. > :09:21.especially with it being a final. Coming into the net but that little

:09:22. > :09:26.more pressure on Stefan Olsson and I think it could work in Gordon's

:09:27. > :09:34.favour. What about Stefan Olsson, they have played plenty of times

:09:35. > :09:39.before, Peter. They have, Peter has a better head-to-head, but you can't

:09:40. > :09:45.take it away from Stefan, he does a lot of other sports, he was a

:09:46. > :09:49.Paralympic gold medallist in London 2012, he has got a lot of history as

:09:50. > :09:54.well, but conditions are a bit heavy, so I think it will be a bit

:09:55. > :09:58.slow and very hard on them, on the muscles, because as soon as they

:09:59. > :10:05.stop pushing, the Chair dies. It is not like on a hard court. On grass,

:10:06. > :10:09.the natural slice that Gordon has got, is it even more effective on

:10:10. > :10:14.grass than other surfaces? Definitely, one of the biggest

:10:15. > :10:17.strength Gordon has is his slice and playing against him in training, one

:10:18. > :10:21.of the best things about it is you don't know where it is going to go.

:10:22. > :10:24.That is why I have struggled massively against him in the past,

:10:25. > :10:29.you think he is going for a slice and then he drop shots you and he

:10:30. > :10:33.has that technique where he can drop shot, slide it out wide or heat

:10:34. > :10:37.through it. I think that is going to work massively in his favour today.

:10:38. > :10:40.How important you think it is the profile of wheelchair tennis, for

:10:41. > :10:48.yourself and Gordon, Jordanne Whiley, that this is here at

:10:49. > :10:51.Wimbledon and at a court that... People are leaning in from court 16,

:10:52. > :10:58.if we had a bigger court, it would be full. How much difference do

:10:59. > :11:06.think it will make? It is massive for wheelchair tennis. You saw it

:11:07. > :11:09.yesterday, training -- trending on Twitter, it was massive. I didn't

:11:10. > :11:12.know how many people watching, it would have made me more nervous but

:11:13. > :11:16.wheelchair tennis is a great sport and looking at the comments people

:11:17. > :11:19.are making about it, we feel like we may be deserved to be on a bigger

:11:20. > :11:27.court. I think we could attract more people. The sport is good, it is at

:11:28. > :11:30.a good level, women's and men's. Yesterday, people climbing over the

:11:31. > :11:35.fences and looking over the balconies. We can attract the

:11:36. > :11:40.spectators and we work hard back in training and I think we would like

:11:41. > :11:45.that chance to be on a bigger court. Alfie has put it so well, Peter, and

:11:46. > :11:49.had you had the opportunity to play in a singles final at Wimbledon, it

:11:50. > :11:54.would have been very special. How big moment you think this is? This

:11:55. > :11:57.is the premier moment in the world, Wimbledon, you can't get any bigger

:11:58. > :12:01.when you are talking about tennis. With all my other wins, this is huge

:12:02. > :12:05.for Gordon, you can't take it away. Is just a massive stadium and

:12:06. > :12:11.platform for wheelchair tennis to move on. It is wonderful for British

:12:12. > :12:15.tennis, it is in a great vein of form at the moment, we have some

:12:16. > :12:21.really good gold medal hopes, Grand Slams, it is fantastic to be here.

:12:22. > :12:27.Peter, I will let you head back to the commentary box. Alfie is going

:12:28. > :12:33.to stake back at stay courtside to support Gordon Reid. It is amazing

:12:34. > :12:39.how many young people have turned up to support Gordon Reid. How old are

:12:40. > :12:44.you guys? 12 and 11. Alfie, you are a bit of a hero for them, I suspect.

:12:45. > :12:48.I don't know if I would go hero, but I would hope I am an inspiration to

:12:49. > :12:53.them to get out there and play tennis. Tennis is one of the best

:12:54. > :12:59.sports out there, I believe, and so to get as many people into tennis is

:13:00. > :13:04.openly what I could do yesterday. You certainly did that winning the

:13:05. > :13:12.doubles and you and everyone else will be hoping that everyone else --

:13:13. > :13:18.Gordon Cavallo sub. Let's hand you over to the commentary team. Peter

:13:19. > :13:23.Norfolk will be there, alongside Nick Mullins.

:13:24. > :13:28.MICK MULLINS Good morning everybody, what a day for the tennis players on

:13:29. > :13:35.wheels, and here is one of the best. Gordon Reid, a left-hander, about to

:13:36. > :13:41.embark on the third Grand Slam final of his year. He won in Australia, he

:13:42. > :13:46.was runner-up in Paris, but this, because it is what it is, the most

:13:47. > :13:52.special of them all, the first ever Wimbledon singles final. We have had

:13:53. > :14:01.doubles here, we have been enjoying doubles here for over ten years now.

:14:02. > :14:07.The men before the women, but for the first time, this is also, who

:14:08. > :14:17.knocked out the favourite Uday in the final. The umpire is British for

:14:18. > :14:24.this first Wimbledon singles finals. Olsson, the 29-year-old Swede, his

:14:25. > :14:29.country's most successful player ever and like the Britain on the

:14:30. > :14:34.other side of the net, he was a world junior number one in the early

:14:35. > :14:40.days. Gordon Reid, 24-year-old Scot, from Glasgow, Britain's best men's

:14:41. > :14:43.player right now, in the middle of a simply extraordinary week. Wimbledon

:14:44. > :14:49.champion in the doubles yesterday with Alfie Hewett and maybe, maybe,

:14:50. > :14:54.Wimbledon champion in the singles within the next couple of hours. And

:14:55. > :14:58.he has the honour of getting this final under way.

:14:59. > :17:32.UMPIRE: Ready, play. Wonderful return from Stefan Olsson,

:17:33. > :17:36.who has been as high as number two in the world. Currently number

:17:37. > :17:44.seven, Gordon Reid number three by now. Stephane Houdet and Joachim

:17:45. > :18:07.Gerard ahead of him. Talking a lot about that backhand

:18:08. > :18:13.slice from Reid in the build-up and he used it to good effect there. I

:18:14. > :18:16.think we will see a lot more of that. Gordon will push him behind

:18:17. > :18:39.the baseline and then. Any nerves there might have been

:18:40. > :18:46.hopefully dissipated by now. You have been courtside, Peter, is a

:18:47. > :18:52.little bit damp, how tough of the conditions right now? It is going to

:18:53. > :18:59.be really tough. The few spots of rain.

:19:00. > :19:03.And starts affecting their pressure is on the hand reins, and it is

:19:04. > :19:21.blustery are not that one. -- rims. We could have done with whether they

:19:22. > :19:32.had last year, but they have their tyres pumped up really high.

:19:33. > :20:06.120, 140 psi, so they do not take in.

:20:07. > :20:16.Admiring the background, Peter. I think we will see a lot more of that

:20:17. > :20:28.undercut slice from Olsson. Keeping the ball really low.

:20:29. > :20:41.And he wins his first game to love. The ball really coming off, the

:20:42. > :20:46.drizzle land damp in the air not helping the ball. It is really

:20:47. > :20:55.skidding off, there is not much time to react. It is going to be a tough

:20:56. > :21:12.little match coming up. Unless the sun pops out, hopefully.

:21:13. > :21:19.Lots of you will have enjoyed wheelchair tennis for years but one

:21:20. > :21:23.or two might be churning of the first time. Pretty much the same

:21:24. > :21:32.rules as able-bodied tennis. -- tuning in. Exactly the same. The one

:21:33. > :21:37.difference you will have noticed is the ball is allowed to bounce twice.

:21:38. > :21:41.First bounce within the confines of the court, the second bounce can be

:21:42. > :21:43.anywhere. But generally the top players will try and take it off the

:21:44. > :21:47.first bounce. That will give your opponent less

:21:48. > :22:26.time. Two good serves across the body

:22:27. > :23:28.falls. -- of Olsson. How did he do that? Goodness me. I

:23:29. > :23:32.was going to say it was out. Boomerang.

:23:33. > :23:41.Like a baseball pitch. Ridiculous. Deuce.

:23:42. > :24:13.He must have been watching the football, bend it like Beckham.

:24:14. > :24:20.Talking a lot about the challenges of sitting around on this surface,

:24:21. > :24:27.but it is that much harder particularly going backwards. As

:24:28. > :24:32.soon as they let go of the chair on a hard-coded travels but not on

:24:33. > :24:42.grass. Gordon got caught out trying to spin out of

:24:43. > :24:48.And there is no leader to this, they come straight from clay onto grass.

:24:49. > :24:54.They have been practising up the road at Roehampton. On the grass

:24:55. > :24:57.courts and the National tennis Centre and there has been a

:24:58. > :24:58.concierge about having a couple of lead up tournaments perhaps next

:24:59. > :25:36.year. -- conversation. This is the first time they have had

:25:37. > :25:41.singles here at Wimbledon so this could be historical. Olsson in the

:25:42. > :25:47.end with the angle that won it with Reid de behind the baseline. That

:25:48. > :25:49.was good tennis from Olsson. -- deep behind. He took out world number one

:25:50. > :26:26.Stephane Houdet in the semifinal. Break point for the Swede. He knows

:26:27. > :26:29.what it feels like to be a Wimbledon champion, doubles winner in 2010.

:26:30. > :27:00.Lots of experience. Now the breeze picking up. You will

:27:01. > :27:10.notice Olsson at the far end on the move.

:27:11. > :27:21.The wind coming across as well, taking the ball, they are going to

:27:22. > :27:22.have to be more careful. The wind going across more than it is going

:27:23. > :27:51.down. Tricky. Calm and collected, top-spin

:27:52. > :27:59.forehand into the space. It looks like they are coming off. We had

:28:00. > :28:10.been warned... Ladies and gentlemen, play is suspended. The rain coming

:28:11. > :28:18.down quite heavily. What a shame. There is no roof here. It might be

:28:19. > :28:24.awhile they get a roof out to court 17, I suspect. Perhaps we will move

:28:25. > :28:28.up one court. With the spectacle we have had this week with wheelchair

:28:29. > :28:31.tennis, it has been fantastic. It really has and there has been lots

:28:32. > :28:38.of talk about moving on to bigger courts next year. For the time being

:28:39. > :28:41.the only court that is covered is Centre Court and they are busy on

:28:42. > :28:47.that one in a couple of hours. We are told in will just be sporadic

:28:48. > :28:54.showers, they are not going to hang around long. It will be interesting

:28:55. > :29:00.to see if they cover the courts. It does look as if the players are

:29:01. > :29:10.heading off. And now it looks like the sun has come out. The players

:29:11. > :29:14.have switched into the day chairs, Peter, at least Stefan Olsson has.

:29:15. > :29:20.Different to the one he plays tennis in. Absolutely, it is a lot easier,

:29:21. > :29:24.narrower, you do not want to use your sports centre, tennis check,

:29:25. > :29:29.you would never get through the doorways. Camber on the whales to

:29:30. > :29:39.give them stability which makes them ternary fast. -- wheels. Smaller and

:29:40. > :29:44.harder front casters, that makes them quicker and lighter. The chair

:29:45. > :29:51.is made of all sorts of materials now, principally titanium. Someone

:29:52. > :29:58.like Stephane Houdet has a Fandango carbon fibre chair. We can talk more

:29:59. > :30:01.about that over the next few hours but for the time being we are

:30:02. > :30:16.hanging around waiting for the rain to stop.

:30:17. > :30:22.There is one from the sun, but you can't really just yet. I am here

:30:23. > :30:26.with Alper, you have to deal with these moments, as well as the

:30:27. > :30:29.occasion from the final -- with Alfie. As a tennis player, one of

:30:30. > :30:33.the biggest annoyances is these breaks, you prepare police badges

:30:34. > :30:38.and you get so in the zone and then you have these periods where you

:30:39. > :30:43.don't play -- you prepare for these matches. I thought Gordon was

:30:44. > :30:47.playing very well, under a great deal of pressure on his serve, it is

:30:48. > :30:53.definitely more windy up this end, you found that yesterday. I think

:30:54. > :30:58.Gordon has got of row to a really good start, it is only 1-1,

:30:59. > :31:03.advantage to Gordon. He is relaxed, he looks calm on the ball. I think

:31:04. > :31:06.he has maybe mis-hit one ball so far, so considering it is a massive

:31:07. > :31:13.occasion for him, he has really dealt with his nerves well. So has

:31:14. > :31:17.Stefan Olsson, he is moving really well on the court, hitting his slice

:31:18. > :31:21.really well and it is turning out to be a really good match. They

:31:22. > :31:27.obviously don't want to bring the covers across the rain is going to

:31:28. > :31:30.stop quickly but it is going to make the surface slippery. Definitely and

:31:31. > :31:33.that will suit both players, because they both love the slice. The ball

:31:34. > :31:40.is going to skip through the court more. I think the movement will be

:31:41. > :31:43.easier, because the wheels will be closer to ground, they can get more

:31:44. > :31:46.tread on the wheels. They will move more and that will make it even

:31:47. > :31:52.tougher for them, because there will be longer rallies, which makes it

:31:53. > :31:57.tough to push around the court, but definitely, it is going to be

:31:58. > :32:02.interesting. Stefan is right here behind us, having an umbrella held

:32:03. > :32:07.over him, as indeed I am. He is an immense player, he has been so

:32:08. > :32:10.successful over the years. Definitely, he has been one of the

:32:11. > :32:15.most successful wheelchair tennis players. He has obviously got a lot

:32:16. > :32:19.of experience. Like Peter said, he has played in different Paralympics,

:32:20. > :32:25.he played in the Winter Paralympics, which not many athletes get to do,

:32:26. > :32:30.so it shows his determination and his motivation in sport and his self

:32:31. > :32:35.drive, because to be able to do that in two different sports is really

:32:36. > :32:41.incredible, I take my hat off to him. He won Gold at London 2012, I

:32:42. > :32:46.remember watching that match and he was very much the experienced player

:32:47. > :32:49.there again and he is with someone I never like to come against, because

:32:50. > :32:54.he knows how to work the ball and where to hit the spots in the court,

:32:55. > :32:58.very experienced, like I said. That is why I think that they will be

:32:59. > :33:02.very interesting. He has held serve to love in his only service game,

:33:03. > :33:06.whereas Gordon was taken to deuce and is under pressure in his second

:33:07. > :33:14.service game. When they do resume, it be advantageous Reid. I think it

:33:15. > :33:19.has stopped raining -- at Vantage Reid. I am going to talk to you,

:33:20. > :33:25.have you watched wheelchair tennis before? I haven't, it is the first

:33:26. > :33:29.time I have been to Wimbledon. I am with my brother, who's just over

:33:30. > :33:37.there and he been loads of times. Hello! This is the first time really

:33:38. > :33:42.coming. What do you think of it? I didn't really expect it. I have

:33:43. > :33:48.never been here, so I thought it was going to be just one massive court

:33:49. > :33:53.and then I knew there were loads of these courts, but I thought you had

:33:54. > :33:58.to buy a seat or something, so it was kind of nice that you could just

:33:59. > :34:07.watch it and see. It is such an experience and really, really nice.

:34:08. > :34:19.And you are James? J. You have come a times. Four times. How come? One

:34:20. > :34:25.time, I won tickets where Andy Murray trained. He saw the 2015

:34:26. > :34:32.final with Djokovic and Federer. You were on Centre Court for that? How

:34:33. > :34:36.old were you? Eight. So you are nine now. You are watching the wheelchair

:34:37. > :34:42.tennis, are you supporting Gordon Reid? Yes. What do you make of

:34:43. > :34:48.wheelchair tennis? I don't know if they have two bounces? They can have

:34:49. > :34:52.two, but quite often they take it on the single bounce, but they are

:34:53. > :34:58.allowed two if they needed. Do you see how much wrist action they are

:34:59. > :35:04.using and the slice? They do it really high, so they can't get it

:35:05. > :35:09.back, because they are sitting down. Exactly, so the lob is an important

:35:10. > :35:14.job. Thank you for the impromptu interview. We are hearing that it is

:35:15. > :35:19.less than five minutes until play will resume and the net is going

:35:20. > :35:26.back up, fantastic. So, Alfie, I am going to grab the brolly, can I just

:35:27. > :35:29.give you that? Good, excellent, so only a short break, but obviously

:35:30. > :35:36.for the players, they have been sitting, waiting. Do you get to warm

:35:37. > :35:43.up again or have we not been long enough off? I think it has been too

:35:44. > :35:48.short, so they will go straight back into the match. So Gordon has do

:35:49. > :35:54.resume on serve, advantageous Reid. At least it is not a break point.

:35:55. > :35:58.That is one of the tough things, going back without any warm up, so

:35:59. > :36:02.you need to keep your upper body lose, keep in the zone, so you can

:36:03. > :36:06.go straight back into the match itself without having to take time.

:36:07. > :36:11.The last thing you want now is to go back feeling sluggish and

:36:12. > :36:17.demotivated. I think both players, just from watching them, have kept

:36:18. > :36:22.in the zone, Stefan has been quite calm and chilled and Gordon, with

:36:23. > :36:27.the support around him. They are starting again already. With the

:36:28. > :36:32.support behind him, Gordon will find it easier to get that drive and

:36:33. > :36:38.motivation. And it really helps that this is not Gordon's first Grand

:36:39. > :36:41.Slam final. He has won the Australian Open, runner-up at Roland

:36:42. > :36:45.Garros. His first Wimbledon final, because no one has played in the

:36:46. > :36:51.Wheelchair Singles at Wimbledon so far, but he seems naturally calm by

:36:52. > :36:54.nature. I think last year, when he was making semifinals in the Grand

:36:55. > :36:58.Slams, I remember him saying he had a monkey on his back over the Grand

:36:59. > :37:03.Slams because he wasn't able to perform may be how he wanted to, but

:37:04. > :37:07.this year, he seems to have turned it around. Winning the Australian

:37:08. > :37:11.Open, I think, has been a massive confidence booster for him at the

:37:12. > :37:15.Grand Slams and that has led to him making Roland Garros and now

:37:16. > :37:20.Wimbledon. He doesn't want to hang around, he is in his match chair.

:37:21. > :37:23.You can see how the wheels are sloped inwards. I noticed Stephane

:37:24. > :37:27.Houdet eight, who you were playing in doubles, his chair was totally

:37:28. > :37:34.different to everybody else's. He has spent a load of money on a

:37:35. > :37:41.carbon fibre chair, which is very light. It seems like it is very

:37:42. > :37:45.unstable but it gives him the ability to swing more freely, his

:37:46. > :37:49.strength on the ball was still good but I think if you get them at the

:37:50. > :37:54.feet or you make him reach, he can lose that balance because there is

:37:55. > :37:58.no support there at all. I think he has maybe one strap that keeps him

:37:59. > :38:02.in his chair, but how much that actually helps him, I don't know.

:38:03. > :38:05.Fair play to him, it is a great design and I think it certainly

:38:06. > :38:15.enhanced his performance. These chairs, are they titanium? Yes, they

:38:16. > :38:18.cost a lot of money. How much? I am getting a new chair for the

:38:19. > :38:24.Paralympics and that costs just under six grand. So you have to look

:38:25. > :38:29.after it! Yes, I am hoping the airlines keep it nice and clean too.

:38:30. > :38:33.These are the equivalent of Formula One cars, specifically designed for

:38:34. > :38:37.this purpose. They have the smaller wheels underneath so you can move

:38:38. > :38:42.from side to side more easily. Obviously, you can't tell the big

:38:43. > :38:46.wheels are there to help turn the Chair more quickly, that is why they

:38:47. > :38:50.are slanted, because if you try pushing with the day chair wheels,

:38:51. > :38:55.it is impossible, you lose your balance and with the one at the

:38:56. > :39:03.back, that is for balance as well. With day cheers, -- HS, you don't

:39:04. > :39:10.have anti-keep. These chairs are amazing. These chairs are amazing.

:39:11. > :39:15.If you look at the past ten years and have developed the chairs are,

:39:16. > :39:21.it is amazing. The stuff from Alfie Hewett, Gordon Reid's partner and a

:39:22. > :39:26.new Wimbledon doubles champion. So a real test for Gordon, resuming here,

:39:27. > :39:29.advantageous Reid, we don't think there will be any warm up. Let's

:39:30. > :39:35.hand you back to Peter Norfolk and Mick Mullins.

:39:36. > :39:48.-- Nick Mullins. Thank you very much. We have the world expert on

:39:49. > :39:53.wheelchair design, Peter Norfolk. Now, as Alfie was saying, these are

:39:54. > :39:58.six, seven or eight grand, but Stephane Houdet a's chair is in the

:39:59. > :40:01.stratosphere. He was knocked out in the semifinals. I'm trying to

:40:02. > :40:06.describe it and where the design is going. What Stephane Houdet a has

:40:07. > :40:13.done, in collaboration with a company that have really gone into

:40:14. > :40:17.carbon fibre, but spoke and specific to his disability and ability and

:40:18. > :40:23.how he wants to play tennis. He essentially wants to play standing

:40:24. > :40:30.up tennis at a sitting down level, but he doesn't want to be centrally

:40:31. > :40:34.sitting down. So he has taken his knees out of the equation. When you

:40:35. > :40:38.are sat down, your knees are in the way, you can't hit shots right in

:40:39. > :40:47.front of you and food a's new carbon fibre per spoke chair thing --

:40:48. > :40:53.Stephane Houdet a's new carbon fibre bespoke chair has given him more

:40:54. > :40:58.balance and he has to use a lot of core strength to balance the

:40:59. > :41:03.machine. The hand rims are bigger so he has more grip and it is all about

:41:04. > :41:08.the first push off the mark, so you can get to the ball. He has bigger

:41:09. > :41:14.front castors. If you look at some of these chairs here, Gordon Reid

:41:15. > :41:25.and Stefan Olsson's chairs are titanium, they have smaller front

:41:26. > :41:32.casters, high pressure tyres. Houdet was pumped up to 160 psi. It is

:41:33. > :41:37.fascinating stuff, he is looking to change the boundaries and Houdet

:41:38. > :41:42.wants to move forward. We have had those leaps in the last couple of

:41:43. > :41:47.decades. He does. You have to have a bit of cash though, ?100,000 to buy

:41:48. > :41:52.one of those chairs. So back under after a delay of about 15 minutes in

:41:53. > :41:58.total and it was at a critical point, because Gordon Reid was

:41:59. > :42:06.trying to serve out the third game of the opening set. It had been on

:42:07. > :42:10.serve for the first two games and a marathon third game, with Reid

:42:11. > :42:13.working hard on his serve. The rain came down but we have been told we

:42:14. > :42:19.will have the odd shower over the next hour or so, nothing that ought

:42:20. > :42:22.to be to prolonged and the players, because they were held up for 50

:42:23. > :42:28.minutes, we'll get a three minute warm up, and it was interesting to

:42:29. > :42:32.see Gordon Reid making sure the chair was as dry as possible,

:42:33. > :42:38.because they will need the grip to do moves like that. Absolutely, any

:42:39. > :42:42.bit of drizzle, if you have a titanium handle, your hand slips and

:42:43. > :42:46.as soon as your hand slips, you missed the first push and you will

:42:47. > :42:51.not get to the ball, so it is crucial that they keep a hand rail

:42:52. > :42:58.dry, so when they towelled down, you will see often that they often

:42:59. > :43:04.towelled down a hand grip as well. Stefan Olsson, the Swede, the

:43:05. > :43:11.29-year-old, for the benefit of newcomers, a double Paralympic

:43:12. > :43:17.champion, he won a crosstown at Eton Manor in 2012, Sweden's first-ever

:43:18. > :43:21.gold medal in the event. A Silva medallist four years earlier in

:43:22. > :43:28.Beijing. He is an outstanding athlete. We have already mentioned

:43:29. > :43:31.he was a Wimbledon champion in 2010, runner-up in the doubles at Roland

:43:32. > :43:37.Garros last month, where, incidentally, he lost to Gordon Reid

:43:38. > :43:42.and Shingo Kunieda, whose name might be familiar. Kunieda, arguably when

:43:43. > :43:47.he is fit and at his best, is the best player in the world, bit he is

:43:48. > :43:51.not here because he is injured and wants to make sure he is ready for

:43:52. > :43:56.Rio next month -- but he is not here. Absolutely but it will be

:43:57. > :44:01.interesting, Gordon is number three, he has beaten Shingo Kunieda.

:44:02. > :44:05.Gustavo Fernandez is always a threat. Olsson, obviously Houdet. I

:44:06. > :44:10.think it is not a Shingo Kunieda year. All of these players now have

:44:11. > :44:17.seen some infallibility, a bit of a gap, a bit of daylight and I think

:44:18. > :44:20.with Rio coming up, they are all thinking they are in with a chance

:44:21. > :44:24.and it is fantastic for world wheelchair tennis, let alone British

:44:25. > :44:29.wheelchair tennis, if Gordon does this arena double here. He will be

:44:30. > :44:33.on top of the world and so full of confidence. And how great to see

:44:34. > :44:38.this. I wondered in early yesterday morning and the hill was absolutely

:44:39. > :44:43.full of folk watching Gordon Reid playing the semifinal... Playing the

:44:44. > :44:48.final with Alfie Hewett in the doubles. And I know one of their big

:44:49. > :44:53.desires is just to spread the word, to show exactly what is possible as

:44:54. > :44:57.an athlete when you are doing what they are doing, sitting in her

:44:58. > :45:01.chair. And this is perfect, the biggest platform for wheelchair

:45:02. > :45:05.tennis in the world. Wimbledon is the premier event, soak for

:45:06. > :45:09.wheelchair tennis here, this is fantastic, and I am so happy. I have

:45:10. > :45:14.been playing tennis for decades, it feels like, and we are now at the

:45:15. > :45:19.pinnacle of singles and doubles at Wimbledon, singles and doubles at

:45:20. > :45:23.all of the other Grand Slams and this is just wonderful parity, I am

:45:24. > :45:26.just so happy for them. And having Gordon Reid in the final? Again?

:45:27. > :45:43.Wow, this has been a great weekend. It is not over yet. Great week for

:45:44. > :45:48.him, with Jordanne Whiley, introduced to the Royal box last

:45:49. > :46:19.Saturday on Centre Court. Reid advantage on his own serve.

:46:20. > :46:28.He is not short of support. The Reid army wearing the Alice Barnes that

:46:29. > :46:38.have become quite a fashion accessory. -- Alice bands. It could

:46:39. > :46:51.be a ponytail next, Gareth Bale stack? His mum. In the white blouse

:46:52. > :46:57.at the back. And his sister Emily with the Garland. Steven Davis his

:46:58. > :47:08.brothers probably there as well. And dad Graham.

:47:09. > :47:49.One server at the start of this final.

:47:50. > :47:57.That is a wow I can, you have got to say.

:47:58. > :48:18.The key to the return is to be on the Move author.

:48:19. > :48:24.Putting the pressure on by rolling across the baseline. The challenge

:48:25. > :48:28.for the server when you are hitting from static is to get moving as

:48:29. > :48:36.quickly as possible. And pick the spot, so you can work out where the

:48:37. > :49:23.return is coming. As soon as you serve you have to remove.

:49:24. > :49:31.Stefan Nielsen squandered the break point in the previous game and now

:49:32. > :49:51.after the rain delay there is a chance for Reid.

:49:52. > :50:00.Brilliantly played by Olsson. That ball could have spat anywhere. And

:50:01. > :50:05.very lucky, you mustn't touch the net the chair either so he had to

:50:06. > :51:02.spin out. Fantastic play. Moving into the forehand so well.

:51:03. > :51:33.Beautiful down the line. Gordon Reid makes the first

:51:34. > :51:42.significant move in this final. He has broken.

:51:43. > :51:48.Both men have to exploit the gaps because it is heavy going in the

:51:49. > :51:54.chair. It is harder to get moving and keep the chair moving. As soon

:51:55. > :51:57.as they have got a chance hit it back behind, sliced loaf. Great play

:51:58. > :52:20.by Gordon Reid. -- slice low. The big Rangers fan, Mark Warburton

:52:21. > :52:24.amongst those sending their congratulations yesterday when he

:52:25. > :52:27.won the doubles, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as well. Making

:52:28. > :52:41.headlines for himself and the sport this week.

:52:42. > :52:52.Gordon looking comfortable. Keeping on putting the pressure on Olsson.

:52:53. > :53:22.Keep doing that so Olsson does not get his confidence up.

:53:23. > :53:29.You paid for the racket, you might as well use all of it will stop

:53:30. > :53:52.slight mis-hit. He will take anything he can get.

:53:53. > :54:26.The sounds of Wimbledon, the band in the distance. And a packed court 17.

:54:27. > :54:34.If the ball hits the chair then you have lost the point. Really jammed

:54:35. > :54:39.up there by the inaccuracy of Olsson. It is a good technical shot

:54:40. > :54:46.to hit it straight back and the player.

:54:47. > :54:59.-- straight back at the player. Olsson playing a bit further up the

:55:00. > :55:08.court. He has been jammed pack a long way behind the baseline.

:55:09. > :55:14.Has to be careful, Gordon can export the gaps easier if he stays that far

:55:15. > :56:35.back, like that. Once again Reid having to date card

:56:36. > :56:48.to hold onto his serve but hold on he does. -- having to dig hard.

:56:49. > :56:54.He has a good support group looking after him, just standing up in the

:56:55. > :56:58.white cab is strewn Wilkinson, league coach of British wheelchair

:56:59. > :57:08.tennis, based up the road at Roehampton. And next up is Karen, in

:57:09. > :57:12.the red, Karen Ross working with Gordon Reid for the best part of ten

:57:13. > :57:17.years. And she has worked with Andy Murray as well when he was growing

:57:18. > :57:20.up in Dunblane. She is bring much part of what Gordon Reid is doing

:57:21. > :57:26.right now. And it bit of history, Stuart Wilkinson has a history of

:57:27. > :57:34.winning, he used to be my coach. We know how to win and we know how to

:57:35. > :57:38.bring people through. We have more juniors, anyone can play wheelchair

:57:39. > :57:43.tennis. That is what we are so pleased about. There are still

:57:44. > :57:49.people not realising you can play wheelchair tennis. The quality is

:57:50. > :57:51.amazing. I expected more slice from Olsson, more backhand slice, to

:57:52. > :58:39.really knife it into Gordon. That is what Olsson did to read in

:58:40. > :59:15.the previous point. Reid is good friends with Andy

:59:16. > :59:24.Murray, they shared Scottish International tennis Player of the

:59:25. > :59:26.Year award last year. He was so bridging single success and the

:59:27. > :59:31.Australian Open with Andy Murray watching on earlier this year. --

:59:32. > :00:00.celebrating singles success. How about that? And a couple of

:00:01. > :00:07.little spins at the end of it to celebrate. That was amazing. Gordon

:00:08. > :00:14.skidded to a stop. Fabulous chair control.

:00:15. > :00:19.Now, then. Two more points for a double break

:00:20. > :00:43.of serve. Those shots behind the Chair, Peter,

:00:44. > :00:44.so often so profitable. Expecting more of those from Olsson, those

:00:45. > :01:19.knife slices. Stefan Olsson has lost his last two

:01:20. > :01:23.service games. That means Scotland's Gordon Reid is on the brink of

:01:24. > :01:46.taking the first set in this first ever Wimbledon singles final.

:01:47. > :01:54.What a start for Reid. He will be really happy with this, getting off

:01:55. > :02:07.to a great 5-1 lead. Just what he wanted to do.

:02:08. > :02:21.It is the 20th time they have met on the circuit, first in 2009. Olsson

:02:22. > :02:28.won the first four matches, and the last in South Africa.

:02:29. > :02:35.There is a big worldwide circuit now. In between, play psi 14 in a

:02:36. > :03:06.row. That was a really cute backhand. -- they play 14.

:03:07. > :03:13.There was a word of acknowledgement immediately from Reid.

:03:14. > :03:19.Smart play, he could see Reid was right behind the baseline. Pinned

:03:20. > :04:03.him back there and dropped a short ball into the service box.

:04:04. > :04:09.You really can't wait for the second bounce on these courts. Gordon

:04:10. > :04:14.pushed Olsson right back and waited for the second bounce. If it is not

:04:15. > :04:23.good, it has to be taken on one bounce.

:04:24. > :04:34.Here we go, watch this backhand, top-spin, out the air. That is great

:04:35. > :05:09.confidence, isn't it? At the right time, at just the right

:05:10. > :05:14.time, he has rediscovered his best form. Absolutely, Olsson really

:05:15. > :05:23.knifed his backhand and Gordon just swatted away.

:05:24. > :05:30.Gordon Reid is on his way. He is halfway towards becoming the

:05:31. > :05:39.Wimbledon singles champion. He has taken the first set 6-1.

:05:40. > :05:46.CLAIRE BALDING: A terrific hold of serve, he saved two break points,

:05:47. > :05:51.served it out and I am with his doubles partner Alfie Hewett, what

:05:52. > :05:55.is your reaction to the way he has started? A very positive start. He

:05:56. > :06:01.has come out here and dominated the play. He has kind of taken it to

:06:02. > :06:05.Stefan and ask the question and so far, I think he has had a response.

:06:06. > :06:10.One of the biggest differences I have noticed with Gordon between

:06:11. > :06:14.this match and previous matches is Gordon is really hitting through the

:06:15. > :06:20.ball. He is really using his angles well, mixing the pace up. He is

:06:21. > :06:25.slicing, using his reverse backhand, which I didn't think he would use as

:06:26. > :06:31.much as he has done. Gordon has really come out here positive,

:06:32. > :06:34.aggressive, and that showed in that sector. Testaments to his

:06:35. > :06:41.psychological strength, he hasn't lost a game sent back the rate since

:06:42. > :06:48.the rain break. -- since the rain break. Definitely, I was wrong about

:06:49. > :06:54.the warm up! He has come out, he has focused and he has got the momentum

:06:55. > :06:59.with him right now, so he needs to keep that up. I will come back and

:07:00. > :07:04.talk to Alfie later on. There are so many people packed around Court 17,

:07:05. > :07:08.people trying to shove in to the odd seats that my despair and leaning

:07:09. > :07:10.over the walls at the back. And the large, large majority of them are

:07:11. > :07:22.supporting Gordon Reid. NICK MULLINS: The start of the

:07:23. > :07:34.second set and Stefan Olsson to serve first.

:07:35. > :07:48.Looking at some first stirred serve statistics from that first set,

:07:49. > :07:53.Olsson at 30%, Reid up at 60%. He has got to change that, quite

:07:54. > :08:01.simply. Gordon is just totally overpowering him. Gordon Reid has

:08:02. > :08:02.taken the initiative and he is just not giving Olsson any time to

:08:03. > :08:42.settle. That is not going to do Olsson any

:08:43. > :08:45.good, more free points to give Gordon more competence. --

:08:46. > :09:10.confidence. Olsson's service isn't getting any

:09:11. > :09:15.better. And right at the start of the second set, two more break

:09:16. > :09:18.points. Well, Olsson was on a bit of a hot streak this tournament and I

:09:19. > :09:29.just wonder if his little bubble has burst.

:09:30. > :09:37.And there is the break. Some muttering in Swedish from Stefan

:09:38. > :09:43.Olsson. He is feeling the frustration. Reid in charge.

:09:44. > :09:49.Yes, what Gordon has done is take the ball early on the first bounce,

:09:50. > :09:54.the ball is really coming through, so it is coming on to Olsson's

:09:55. > :09:59.racket really fast and he has not had the time to do anything with it.

:10:00. > :10:04.He is snatching a little bit. Going wide on the sidelines or double

:10:05. > :10:09.faults. I don't know what he is going to do to change it, but Gordon

:10:10. > :10:16.certainly doesn't need to change his game.

:10:17. > :10:23.Life, if you Gordon Reid, feels pretty good right now. It might feel

:10:24. > :10:46.even better in around half an hour. He is up by a set and a break.

:10:47. > :10:54.Wheelchair tennis, by the way, now plays a full part in all four of the

:10:55. > :11:00.sport's Grand Slams. Wimbledon was the last one to introduce doubles,

:11:01. > :11:01.for the first time in men back in 2004 and as singles for the first

:11:02. > :11:33.time this year. Once Gordon Reid and Stefan Olsson

:11:34. > :11:38.have completed their singles final, Britain's Jordanne Whiley and her

:11:39. > :11:41.partner Yui Kamiji will be on this Court Two play in the women's

:11:42. > :11:55.doubles. What a day for British wheelchair tennis.

:11:56. > :12:01.You can see Olsson just hit the ball with a bit more pace and it came

:12:02. > :12:03.through a bit more quickly on to Gordon's racket. Just over pulled it

:12:04. > :12:35.a little bit. Wonderful backhand return of serve

:12:36. > :12:37.by Olsson, that will give him a little bit of confidence, a bit of

:12:38. > :12:51.hope. Fantastic. It is brilliant from the

:12:52. > :13:07.Swede. Both players in search of their

:13:08. > :13:13.first ever Wimbledon singles title, the first time we have ever had a

:13:14. > :13:17.singles event here on grass. It is always a concern, Peter Norfolk,

:13:18. > :13:21.that as a singles player, you would find it too hard to zip around on

:13:22. > :13:27.this grass surface, which is a bit more like a carpet, much more

:13:28. > :13:30.friction. It is hard, but these guys are superfit, superfast. The chairs

:13:31. > :13:36.are specifically built for tennis and these surfaces. I was going to

:13:37. > :13:41.say they are used to it, they are not used to it, but they are super

:13:42. > :13:42.strong and they are not going to refuse playing singles at Wimbledon,

:13:43. > :13:53.that's for sure. I know Gordon Reid were saying

:13:54. > :13:56.before the event that there was some concern amongst the players about

:13:57. > :14:00.the quality they would be able to achieve on the grass in the Chair,

:14:01. > :14:04.but there have been no need for those concerns. It has been

:14:05. > :14:15.top-quality. Actually, one of the things he did

:14:16. > :14:19.in training was to have his coach holding him back with a bungee rope

:14:20. > :14:24.and he was having to work very hard to try and escape it. Absolutely,

:14:25. > :14:30.some of the new techniques coming in... It is getting off the mark on

:14:31. > :14:33.the grass and the clay, that is the hard part, that is where you need

:14:34. > :14:40.the strength. These guys are always working on different parts of their

:14:41. > :14:44.bodies to make them faster. Great shot there by Olsson. And there is

:14:45. > :14:49.also the technology of the chairs. It is not just your body, it is the

:14:50. > :14:55.equipment as well. You know, wheelchair sport is right up there

:14:56. > :14:57.now. It is all about achieving the best you can achieve. And the

:14:58. > :15:12.rewards are there. Oh, dear. Really? We will have a

:15:13. > :15:16.look at that. I think if we had the benefit of Harry Hawk-Eye on Court

:15:17. > :15:22.17, he might be being rolled out. I would have questioned that one.

:15:23. > :15:39.Might have been wrong again. Maybe. I still would have questioned it.

:15:40. > :16:08.His strap came undone them. Essential bits of agreement.

:16:09. > :16:22.-- essential bits of equipment. Got himself back in this game. It was

:16:23. > :16:30.the right shot, rifled backhand back behind the player.

:16:31. > :17:15.He has re-established the break of serve. Gordon Reid.

:17:16. > :17:24.He lost the use of his legs just before his 13th birthday, contracted

:17:25. > :17:29.transverse myelitis, the disease affecting the spinal-cord. He was

:17:30. > :17:32.completely paralysed for six months but has since regained some movement

:17:33. > :17:36.he began to play wheelchair tennis, initially to keep fit as well as

:17:37. > :17:43.anything, but it wasn't long before he realised he was pretty good and

:17:44. > :17:47.it is the outlet like this that allow people according to do what

:17:48. > :17:52.they are doing. That is the beauty of wheelchair tennis and any sport.

:17:53. > :17:57.It is about rehabilitation, recreation and performance.

:17:58. > :18:04.Generally as I did as well you start at the beginning, rehabilitation. We

:18:05. > :18:10.have it in spinal units. Part of the beautiful tennis is we try to get

:18:11. > :18:15.tennis chairs into tennis centres so anyone with any disability can

:18:16. > :18:22.comment. Wheelchair tennis has open categories. Men and women. That

:18:23. > :18:29.would be the great ambition to have sports chairs in every tennis club

:18:30. > :18:33.around the country. It is coming. This is the man flying the flight

:18:34. > :18:57.for British men's tennis right now. Gordon Reid.

:18:58. > :19:02.Fascinating press conference before the tournament started with

:19:03. > :19:07.accordingly and Jordanne Whiley talking about what wheelchair tennis

:19:08. > :19:09.had given them and what they hoped other disability sports might give

:19:10. > :19:29.others. That is brilliant. Jordanne had a

:19:30. > :19:35.really tough time when she was growing up. She was bullied, in and

:19:36. > :19:38.out of hospital, made it hard to form when ships and she found tennis

:19:39. > :19:44.which gave her the reason to believe in herself. -- made it hard to form

:19:45. > :19:52.friendships. She spoke eloquently and we will see her on court in her

:19:53. > :19:59.final in the next hour or so. Wheelchair tennis is a very enabling

:20:00. > :20:12.sport and it is a worldwide sport. Actually we all the of the family.

:20:13. > :20:21.Once again holding onto his first proving to be a tricky business have

:20:22. > :20:33.a moment. Two more break back points for Stephane Olsson. It is tough

:20:34. > :20:45.down there, heavy conditions, blustery. Not particularly pleasant

:20:46. > :20:58.on the grass. It is heavy going. There is a break back.

:20:59. > :21:06.Gordon's friends and family and supporters shouting out. McGavin

:21:07. > :21:10.queueing, varying over to watch this. Thing that is why they are

:21:11. > :21:14.going to try to keep them to these courts, speaking the kept -- keeping

:21:15. > :21:21.the spectacle open to as many people as possible. This is a fabulous but

:21:22. > :21:50.called for wheelchair tennis. Brilliant.

:21:51. > :21:59.Mike Dean are you have noticed but Olsson is struggling with the lower

:22:00. > :22:11.force. -- I do not know if you have noticed.

:22:12. > :22:23.Taking the wrong way. Shortfall. Gordon Reid came in. -- short wall.

:22:24. > :22:44.He sent Olsson the wrong way. Hafeez Hewett was talking to Clare

:22:45. > :22:51.Alfie Hewett was talking to Clare Balding about how well he disguises

:22:52. > :22:55.the shots, holding the ball on his racket before he commits. And when

:22:56. > :23:00.you play a lot of tennis you also know where the player is going by

:23:01. > :23:05.the chair, with your peripheral vision. I was never fast but I had

:23:06. > :23:09.good reaction. I was working out what was going to happen.

:23:10. > :23:21.That was a bit wayward. And once again it is becoming a theme of the

:23:22. > :23:23.second set. Another break of serve. At least two more opportunities for

:23:24. > :24:07.Gordon Reid to take the lead. Enjoying this wheelchair final in

:24:08. > :24:20.the company of the best ever quad tennis player down the years. Peter

:24:21. > :24:26.carried the flag for Britain. I have forgotten thing... You have been

:24:27. > :24:36.involved in the squad. Explain the difference. I started in the men's,

:24:37. > :24:56.two decades ago. Then I had according to me -- a codec

:24:57. > :25:05.to me -- I have a cordectomy, that meant I could play in the quads,

:25:06. > :25:15.three limbs affected. The standard is amazing. It is all about playing

:25:16. > :25:25.tennis. I played with Andy Lapthorne. It is all about being

:25:26. > :25:33.able to play. Would you mean by being released to play? Changing

:25:34. > :25:42.attitudes. It is about us saying we are able to play, the Gabba

:25:43. > :25:48.standard. It is very inclusive. Looking at Gordon and Andy Murray,

:25:49. > :25:53.the follow what we are doing. We are trying our hearts out and tennis is

:25:54. > :25:59.at the heart of it, we are tennis players. We are not disabled tennis

:26:00. > :26:11.post. Tennis is tennis. Sometimes we have two bounces and sometimes we

:26:12. > :26:23.don't. You sound like quad father. I get a bit passionate, sorry. There

:26:24. > :26:31.is no need to apologise. " Don't look at what we can't do, look at

:26:32. > :26:36.what we can do". It is about attitudes are changing. Things might

:26:37. > :26:53.take time. They are not going for another

:26:54. > :26:59.break, Amavi? Certainly not getting any easier to hold the serve. You

:27:00. > :27:17.can see the bank stops blustery and the aces...

:27:18. > :27:32.My word! Fabulous shot. Look at this.

:27:33. > :27:42.When Gordon went off you could hear his chair wheels fluttering, that

:27:43. > :28:04.means the chair is grabbing and not rolling properly.

:28:05. > :28:14.The standard that both of these players are achieving right now,

:28:15. > :28:21.having dropped his serve again, once again. Breaks back will stop

:28:22. > :28:29.Olsson's chair, they are allowed if they get a problem with the chair, a

:28:30. > :28:31.technical time-out. 15 minutes. They can get it repaired and sorted and

:28:32. > :29:05.back on board. We talked about how this sport is

:29:06. > :29:13.now pretty much 12 months around the world and around the year and when

:29:14. > :29:17.they are not onshore they will be busy training. Give us an idea of

:29:18. > :29:29.the con of work they would be doing in training? They will do all sorts.

:29:30. > :29:37.Crosscourt rules, chairs the, getting off the mark. It is the

:29:38. > :29:41.first push and then the next two fishes and about turn, you do it

:29:42. > :29:47.with and without the racket. There is lots of found training to keep

:29:48. > :29:58.supple because all of your power is upfront. -- band trainings. You need

:29:59. > :30:07.to watch out for rotator cuff problems of course.

:30:08. > :30:13.You can see what that meant. He needed that. Break by break he is

:30:14. > :30:24.getting closer and closer. Why is it so hard to hold onto your

:30:25. > :30:29.server right now when it didn't appear to be that difficult in the

:30:30. > :30:35.first set -- your server. There is a trend in singles, it has always been

:30:36. > :30:43.harder to hold your serve in singles. I am still working that one

:30:44. > :30:49.out. I was always happy to break serve to win a match. Gordon has now

:30:50. > :30:55.got to serve to go 5-3 and actually, I would have said that was a really

:30:56. > :31:11.good position to break Olsson and win the match. One I never actively

:31:12. > :31:18.created. Listen to the shouts of "G-O" around the court. His mum on

:31:19. > :31:23.the left, Alison, his dad, Graham, his brothers and sisters, Stephen,

:31:24. > :31:37.David and Emily and a whole band of supporters.

:31:38. > :31:42.Mustn't forget Olsson in all of this, the hugely talented

:31:43. > :31:48.all-rounder. Actually took some time away from tennis to represent the

:31:49. > :31:53.Swede at ice sledge hockey at the Paralympics.

:31:54. > :32:00.He is a brilliant all-rounder. You can't take it away from him, a

:32:01. > :32:07.fantastic athlete, someone who can go away from tennis and pop back in,

:32:08. > :32:12.14 or 15 months ago, now number seven in the world. What talent is

:32:13. > :32:23.that? Right now, he is up against the number three. He is working so

:32:24. > :32:29.hard this --, the Swede, to get himself back in this final.

:32:30. > :32:38.There we go. That is what Gordon was doing in the doubles. He saw Olsson

:32:39. > :32:41.racing back past the baseline and he just popped it back into the service

:32:42. > :33:11.box for a lovely little winner. Right. This is a real opportunity.

:33:12. > :33:17.Holds of serve have become like breaks of serve in this final and

:33:18. > :33:18.Reid has two points to hold onto his serve and move within a game of

:33:19. > :33:43.being champion. Oh, my word. Fantastic tit-for-tat.

:33:44. > :33:49.You have got to applaud both players. Outstanding. Look at this.

:33:50. > :33:58.He almost took the ball boy out. Commitment.

:33:59. > :34:06.There we go. Serve wide and banged it into the Open court. Look what

:34:07. > :34:24.that means to the crowd, and Gordon. Tennis's old one, too. It never

:34:25. > :34:50.fails. -- one, two. So what now for Stefan Olsson? He is

:34:51. > :35:18.not going away, is he? Serving to stay in this final.

:35:19. > :35:22.Gordon tried a cheeky drop shot from behind the baseline. Almost came

:35:23. > :35:45.off. That won't do Olsson's hopes any

:35:46. > :36:13.good. That a double fault on the previous

:36:14. > :37:11.point could be costly for Olsson. You could see Olsson got bogged down

:37:12. > :37:15.there, he was trying to get his chair moving. Gordon hit the ball

:37:16. > :38:10.back behind him. Good ploy. UMPIRE: New balls, please. Olsson

:38:11. > :38:20.has played a brilliant game, all the pressure on him to win it and stay

:38:21. > :38:24.in the final. I feel so nervous. I was remembering back to Athens, when

:38:25. > :38:30.I won my first gold medal, in a massive stadium, it was huge, and I

:38:31. > :38:35.remember having to serve for it and I know I said it is easier to break

:38:36. > :38:40.to win, but I was serving and all I could do was focus and say, one

:38:41. > :38:45.point, this point, and little mantra. And I never looked up at the

:38:46. > :38:48.crowd, didn't do anything and when I hit the last shot and the ball left

:38:49. > :38:54.my strings, I knew immediately that was it. It wasn't the fact that I

:38:55. > :39:05.had won, it was the relief of a four-year programme. I know I am

:39:06. > :39:09.still a cynic, but let's see. I remember commentating on you that

:39:10. > :39:15.day, you didn't make it easy on any of us, not just you. What a moment

:39:16. > :39:20.of Gordon Reid. ?25,000 for the winner. These next few minutes will

:39:21. > :39:20.mean much, much more than that. Serving to become Wimbledon

:39:21. > :39:49.champion. You were shaking your head, Peter.

:39:50. > :39:53.You liked that? This is the most difficult time in the match and that

:39:54. > :40:04.is good strength and confidence from Gordon. Good nerves.

:40:05. > :40:13.Just got to be aware of that little slice by Olsson, he really gives it

:40:14. > :40:57.some pace, so it skims off the surface.

:40:58. > :41:10.How about that? It has gone long. Two points away. The longest point,

:41:11. > :41:33.the longest rally, I think they have had.

:41:34. > :41:53.There are some people watching this who can scarcely believe it. He can

:41:54. > :42:15.believe it. He is serving for the championship.

:42:16. > :42:21.It is easy to do that. It is so easy. I so feel for Reid at the

:42:22. > :42:45.moment. Game, set and match, Reid! Wimbledon

:42:46. > :42:50.champion. Wimbledon champion. The first ever Wimbledon singles

:42:51. > :42:58.champion, Scotland's Gordon Reid. They're best at Wimbledon on wheels.

:42:59. > :43:04.One of the best in the world -- the best at Wimbledon on wheels. What a

:43:05. > :43:11.feeling, you are a champion. Fantastic. Unbelievable, well done.

:43:12. > :43:17.Look at that. He is celebrating. Singles and doubles champion. Wow,

:43:18. > :43:25.wow, wow. This is just historic, brilliant. And the first person to

:43:26. > :43:30.congratulate him, his coach Karen Ross, who has been with him. Along,

:43:31. > :43:35.since he took up the sport as a teenager. Helped introduce him to

:43:36. > :43:39.the sport and look where it has taken him. And he has done as

:43:40. > :43:49.Serena, he has won the singles and the doubles. His mum is going to

:43:50. > :43:53.cry. And his friends, who have been with him from the start, some

:43:54. > :43:59.friends who were with him the morning he woke up and his legs

:44:00. > :44:03.didn't feel quite right and not long later, he was in hospital for six

:44:04. > :44:11.months, paralysed. They have been with him through the whole story and

:44:12. > :44:17.this is just the best final line. What a story. What a story. It is

:44:18. > :44:26.just brilliant. What a Sunday. Is it Super Sunday? Well, one Scot has

:44:27. > :44:37.started the day with a Wimbledon title... Andy Murray will be

:44:38. > :44:41.watching this, I am sure, somewhere. The job for him is to emulate this.

:44:42. > :44:47.Jordanne Whiley on court as well in a while or so, Heather Watson in the

:44:48. > :44:50.Mixed Doubles as well. This could be a very, very special day for British

:44:51. > :45:02.tennis. It already is for Gordon Reid.

:45:03. > :45:08.If put this into perspective for wheelchair tennis and this ability

:45:09. > :45:16.sport in this country. I am not sure I can. How big is Wimbledon,

:45:17. > :45:23.worldwide tennis? We now have a double British winner, singles and

:45:24. > :45:29.doubles. It is unheard of. I am not sure we can put it into words. I

:45:30. > :45:35.think this is a fabulous foundation for youngsters and everyone. Look at

:45:36. > :45:39.British tennis. Whoever said British tennis was not in a good play

:45:40. > :45:45.scratch mark I feel for Olsson, I have been there. It is the worst

:45:46. > :46:00.place to be, sat and waiting while everybody else is celebrating.

:46:01. > :46:12.Please welcome to the court for this presentation Jeff Newton. Firstly,

:46:13. > :46:40.this year's runner up, from Sweden, Stephane Olsson. CHEERING

:46:41. > :46:52.And now, the 20 16th, and indeed, first ever wheelchair tennis singles

:46:53. > :47:29.Wimbledon champion, from Great Britain, Gordon Reid! CHEERING

:47:30. > :47:33.Gordon Reid, double Wimbledon champion having taken the doubles

:47:34. > :47:37.yesterday. Many congratulations, your immediate response to becoming

:47:38. > :47:46.the first ever singles champion here? LAUGHTER

:47:47. > :47:49.It is incredible. To have the opportunity to play singles here is

:47:50. > :47:54.something I have dreams of for a long time. It is amazing. To come

:47:55. > :47:59.here and win in front of the people I love, my friends and families, my

:48:00. > :48:05.coaching team, and so much support, it is unbelievable. I am never going

:48:06. > :48:09.to forget this moment. CHEERING It is a moment none of them will

:48:10. > :48:14.ever forget, none of the people leaning over trying to get a view

:48:15. > :48:23.here, none of the people on Henman Hill, nobody will forget this. You

:48:24. > :48:33.have started the trend, the Alice band army. How many people have you

:48:34. > :48:37.got watching? A big thanks to the LTA and player services for helping

:48:38. > :48:44.me out with 50 tickets to get everybody in! It is a wonderful

:48:45. > :48:47.moment for you and your friends and families both in terms of a broader

:48:48. > :48:54.message how do you hope this will inspire kids and adults watching?

:48:55. > :48:59.Reset and the start of the week that I wanted to get two things this

:49:00. > :49:04.week, the first thing was if there were any kids with disabilities like

:49:05. > :49:07.I was at one stage, if this can inspire them to take up tennis or

:49:08. > :49:11.another sport then that is really important. The second thing is to

:49:12. > :49:16.continue to breaking down barriers when it comes to disability and

:49:17. > :49:20.showcase the personality and high-performance sport, not a

:49:21. > :49:23.disability. With the amount of coverage this week and the amount of

:49:24. > :49:29.interest and the weight people have enjoyed passport, it has been a big

:49:30. > :49:38.milestone and hopefully we can build on that. Very well spoken. With that

:49:39. > :49:47.in mind, a word on Stephane Olsson, who pushed you so hard. Yes, I have

:49:48. > :49:55.to say a big congratulations to Stephane, he has played... APPLAUSE

:49:56. > :49:59.He has played some really great tennis and had some big wins this

:50:00. > :50:04.week. He made it really difficult for me today. I am sure Stephane

:50:05. > :50:07.more than a lot of players has been waiting for singles on grass because

:50:08. > :50:11.he has the game for it I am not sure it is not the last time we see him

:50:12. > :50:17.in the final here. Hopefully we can have more battles in the future. It

:50:18. > :50:21.was a terrific final, we hugely involved and an Gordon, many

:50:22. > :50:23.congratulations. You have made history today. Thank you very much,

:50:24. > :50:48.thank you, everybody. The number of photographers flooding

:50:49. > :50:52.the court, who had to switch ends because Gordon went up to the

:50:53. > :50:57.windier end to serve for the Championships and for the title, his

:50:58. > :51:06.band of supporters singing his song, which ends up with the line about

:51:07. > :51:13.becoming Wimbledon champion. They obviously came up with the lyrics a

:51:14. > :51:18.while back. Their prediction has country. He has indeed won the

:51:19. > :51:26.Wimbledon singles title. Yesterday he took the doubles. And run

:51:27. > :51:36.appeared to get a quick from his doubles partner to see Gordon take

:51:37. > :51:40.the singles trophy. It is a special day for him, many congratulations to

:51:41. > :51:48.Gordon. He has worked very hard for it and now he has made a lot of

:51:49. > :51:51.sacrifices. Training at Roehampton on the grass, to make himself best

:51:52. > :51:57.prepared for this tournament and it has clearly shown and it has all

:51:58. > :52:04.played off. I hope he enjoys the celebrations now. Alfie, how much

:52:05. > :52:10.does it make you want to be here in singles XJ and an all British final?

:52:11. > :52:13.Definitely, being here today, I cannot imagine what the atmosphere

:52:14. > :52:17.would be like if it was the British final. I cannot take anything away

:52:18. > :52:21.from Gordon, he has two enjoy his moment and he deserves all the

:52:22. > :52:26.praise he gets. And Jordanne Whiley is about to come out for the final

:52:27. > :52:33.of the women's doubles, her father is here, keep what are you thinking?

:52:34. > :52:39.I am sure she can do it. Is she in good form, calm, excited? She was

:52:40. > :52:43.very calm today, she is on for it. Fantastic stuff, there will be a big

:52:44. > :52:48.crowd around supporting her because Gordon Read the first of four

:52:49. > :52:53.British players in finals action today. -- Gordon Reid. Andy Murray

:52:54. > :52:58.walking out on Centre Court at 2pm, Heather Watson following that in the

:52:59. > :53:02.Mixed Doubles final. Gordon Reid has won the wheelchair tennis tingles

:53:03. > :53:07.and your Dan Wylie shortly coming out to play her doubles final. --

:53:08. > :53:13.and Jordanne Whiley. A bit of uncertainty and rain throwing us

:53:14. > :53:17.into doubt, and getting everybody going for the covers but in the end

:53:18. > :53:23.a sensational final and Gordon Reid showed great determination and

:53:24. > :53:27.talent and incredible strength under pressure to hold serve, to serve it

:53:28. > :53:32.out and take the title. We were talking yesterday and he was so well

:53:33. > :53:37.aware that there is only one ever first Wimbledon wheelchair tennis

:53:38. > :53:41.singles champion and he has ensured he has taken a title for Great

:53:42. > :53:47.Britain and Scotland for his and friends. His family, and most of all

:53:48. > :53:50.he has done it himself. He is a terrific athlete and great sportsman

:53:51. > :53:58.and let's hope his friend Andy Murray can follow up, coverage

:53:59. > :54:01.starting at 1pm on BC one. From us, thereby. -- 1pm on BBC One.