Wimbledon 2015 Review

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:00:00. > :00:12.Things were very different when Spencer Gore became the first

:00:13. > :00:20.Wimbledon champion, 128 years ago. Wibble con is in full swing and

:00:21. > :00:26.blessed by good weather the premier club of the world is... And the

:00:27. > :00:32.title goes to Britain. Victory to Maria Bueno on the hottest day of

:00:33. > :00:37.the year. Game, set and match. In the passage through numerous eras

:00:38. > :00:46.the gold and silver trophies have become the most prized possessions

:00:47. > :00:52.for tennis's iconic names. Game, set and match Ms Navratilova. Federer.

:00:53. > :00:55.So who would be the champions to have their names engraved indelibly

:00:56. > :01:18.into history in 2015? Novak Djokovic, the defending

:01:19. > :01:24.Wimbledon champion, seeded 1. Serena Williams, 20-time major champion,

:01:25. > :01:32.number one seed. Roger Federer, seven-times Wimbledon champion,

:01:33. > :01:38.seeded number two. Petra Kvitova, defending Wimbledon champion, seeded

:01:39. > :01:44.two. Andy Murray, 2013 Wimbledon champion, seeded three. Stan

:01:45. > :01:49.Wawrinka, French Open champion, seeded four. Maria Sharapova,

:01:50. > :02:00.five-time major champion, seeded four. With an extra week added to

:02:01. > :02:03.the grass court season between the French Open and Wimbledon, the

:02:04. > :02:08.leading players had never been better rested or prepared. In search

:02:09. > :02:14.of a record 8th Wimbledon crown, nobody was more ready than Roger

:02:15. > :02:18.Federer. I'm aware it's going to take a lot of work. I know it's

:02:19. > :02:22.going to be difficult, but at the same time I know it's possible. The

:02:23. > :02:27.title will be decided by one of the top ten players. Anything els would

:02:28. > :02:30.be a big, big shock, a big surprise for a guy to run from the first

:02:31. > :02:37.round all the way to victory. I'm happy I'm part of that elite group

:02:38. > :02:40.that's got that shot. Serena Williams had her sights set iams had

:02:41. > :02:45.her sights set on something really special - winning all four slams in

:02:46. > :02:52.the same calendar year. This was her 16th Wimbledon visit since her 1998

:02:53. > :02:58.debut. I was really excited to see everyone. Seeing Pete Samaras, I was

:02:59. > :03:04.like, oh my God, there's Pete Sampras! It was really cool to see

:03:05. > :03:09.players you grew up watching on TV. What's different now is I'm kind of

:03:10. > :03:14.that role, where everyone who has grown up watching me and I'm still

:03:15. > :03:22.playing, which is shocking. Like Federer, the world number one is 33.

:03:23. > :03:28.The same age Martina Navratilova was when she captured a record 9th

:03:29. > :03:33.singles title. When Martina was there, there weren't many people her

:03:34. > :03:37.age and playing. Now a lot of players are 33, 34. They are still

:03:38. > :03:42.playing and still doing really well, so I'm in a little bit different

:03:43. > :03:49.position, where I don't feel like I have to go down to win and dig so

:03:50. > :03:55.deep to win. There was a particular significance to Novak Djokovic's bid

:03:56. > :03:59.for a third title. 30 years earlier his coach and then Wundt kid Boris

:04:00. > :04:04.Becker won the first in history. On the eve of the Championships the

:04:05. > :04:08.champion was in reflective mood. Last year winning against ridgeer in

:04:09. > :04:15.a five-set marathon match, probably the best Grand Slam final match I

:04:16. > :04:20.was part of. Just was incredible feeling. I knew right after the

:04:21. > :04:27.match that next year I would be playing on Monday at 1 .00pm, which

:04:28. > :04:32.makes some things easier in order to concerning the preparation. But

:04:33. > :04:40.joking aside, to be able to open the Centre Court and play on the fresh

:04:41. > :04:47.virgin grass is really a privilege. I can't wait for that. The two time

:04:48. > :04:54.champion would not drop a set during the first week. Petra Kvitova began

:04:55. > :04:59.her quest for a third title at SW 19. I was still the kind of player

:05:00. > :05:03.really playing aggressively. Sometimes it is going into the

:05:04. > :05:08.court. Sometimes it's out, so you never know how it's going to be. I

:05:09. > :05:15.think I'm going to feel the history and the good energy which I really

:05:16. > :05:19.need. I'm really looking forward to these moments before the match. It's

:05:20. > :05:23.going to be very nice and I'm really looking forward. The defending

:05:24. > :05:30.champion was not troubled in week one. One phrase was said more than

:05:31. > :05:35.any other before the first ball was hit - Andy Murray is in the best

:05:36. > :05:40.place I have seen for a long time. The Scot had extended Djokovic on

:05:41. > :05:44.the Parisian clay and was again champion at Queen's. Players improve

:05:45. > :05:49.all the time throughout their career. If you don't, players catch

:05:50. > :05:56.up with you and you start to fall behind. I do feel like I'm made

:05:57. > :06:01.improvements to my game from that period, from 2012, 2013 period. On

:06:02. > :06:08.sun-kissed Wimbledon grass Murray was several classes above his early

:06:09. > :06:13.round appropriates. Victory at Wimbledon would give Serena Williams

:06:14. > :06:17.her 21st major title. The hot favourite breezed through her

:06:18. > :06:21.opener. This was en route to a possible semifinal encounter against

:06:22. > :06:27.a proven champion. When you're able to take a step back from the sport

:06:28. > :06:31.and you realise even the grind of having an everyday routine, you are

:06:32. > :06:34.pretty lucky to be part of that, because you're giving yourself a

:06:35. > :06:38.chance to be part of Wimbledon, part of these amazing Grand Slams and

:06:39. > :06:42.tournaments. From a very young age I still find passion and belief, and a

:06:43. > :06:46.lot of motivation to be a better player. Those are the things that

:06:47. > :06:55.keep me going. Maria Sharapova was another big name to progress to the

:06:56. > :06:58.second week without a loss of a set. As temperatures rose on court Roger

:06:59. > :07:05.Federer barely looked like he had broken a sweat as he swept past his

:07:06. > :07:10.first two opponents with ease. His 34th birthday just weeks away, Mr

:07:11. > :07:14.Imperious rations his tournament accordingly, but insisted he hadn't

:07:15. > :07:20.felt better in years. A mouth watering clash against Murray in the

:07:21. > :07:24.semis was calling. Stan Wawrinka was in pursuit of a rare double, winning

:07:25. > :07:30.the French Open and Wimbledon back to back. More than anyone, he

:07:31. > :07:35.benefited from the calendar change. Yes, Paris was pretty good, to have

:07:36. > :07:41.one more week, that's for sure. I had time to go home a little bit, to

:07:42. > :07:45.rest a little bit. I had time to really practise well on grass, and

:07:46. > :07:51.rest at the same time, so that was perfect to have one more week.

:07:52. > :07:56.Umbrellas are habitually an all too common sight during the Wimbledon

:07:57. > :08:00.fortnight. This years they were more frequently used to shield the

:08:01. > :08:06.players and public from the sunshine than the rain. On Wednesday 1st

:08:07. > :08:10.July, the All England Club recorded the hottest temperatures in its

:08:11. > :08:14.history. Coming into the Wimbledon championships we knew it was going

:08:15. > :08:19.to be hot. We were hoping we might break a record, because we love

:08:20. > :08:25.records being broken. So we were expecting a heat wave, but wow! What

:08:26. > :08:32.a temperature. 36 Celsius, smashing the previous record of 26th June

:08:33. > :08:38.1976, 34.a 5, so easily beating that. 39 years had passed since

:08:39. > :08:44.Bjorn Borg first lifted Wimbledon's gold trophy. From 1978 to 1980 the

:08:45. > :08:50.Swede won at Roland Garros and was then equally invincible on the grass

:08:51. > :08:57.at Wimbledon, a feat that Rafa Nadal completed on two occasions. But it

:08:58. > :09:01.has been a problematical year for the man from ma York captain.

:09:02. > :09:06.Injuries, illness and a self admitted crisis of confidence saw

:09:07. > :09:13.him fall to number ten in the world, his lowest ranking in a decade. In

:09:14. > :09:20.round two, he faced a dangerous opponent, 6 foot 5 Dustin Brown from

:09:21. > :09:25.Germany, an aggressive unorthodox qualifier who had already defeated

:09:26. > :09:30.Rafa on grass once. The 30-year-old had never set foot on the world's

:09:31. > :09:34.most hallowed court before. But as countryman Boris Becker once

:09:35. > :09:42.insisted about himself, it seemed the Centre Court was Brown's back

:09:43. > :09:52.garden. Rafa needed to tread carefully. Daring drop shots and

:09:53. > :09:56.raids to the net were plentiful as the German frequently made Nadal

:09:57. > :10:18.look out of sorts. He took the first set. Game Brown.

:10:19. > :10:29.Nadal ventured forward like his tenacious opponent and claimed the

:10:30. > :10:32.set. But Brown continued to bewilled ter 14-time Grand Slam champion with

:10:33. > :10:52.his wild but often brilliant game. The Centre Court crowd was torn

:10:53. > :10:57.between applauding for the popular Spaniard an enduring favourite, or

:10:58. > :11:03.the Rastafarian showman, who once travelled around the tennis circuit

:11:04. > :11:08.in a camper van. The world number 102 served magnificently throughout

:11:09. > :11:17.and completed the biggest victory of his career with an ace. His tactics

:11:18. > :11:24.were brilliantly devised and perfectly executed. Obviously you're

:11:25. > :11:27.not unbeatable on this surface but it comes more natural to me playing

:11:28. > :11:31.on this, especially with my type of game, I know I can play really well

:11:32. > :11:38.on this. I'm looking forward to the next match. Probably the best day of

:11:39. > :11:44.my life so far. Acknowledging his father, tattooed on his torso,

:11:45. > :11:48.Dustin Brown knew he had outshone one of the game's brightest lights.

:11:49. > :11:54.Helped by Rafa's lack of energy and authority. I was playing well before

:11:55. > :11:59.that tournament, had the right preparation, all of the things I

:12:00. > :12:07.thought would be fine to play at Wimbledon, but obviously today it is

:12:08. > :12:13.not. Ominously it was his fourth straight Wimbledon defeat to one

:12:14. > :12:19.ranked outside to top 100. Heather Watson went to the brink in her

:12:20. > :12:24.opening match, saving three match points against Caroline Garcia of

:12:25. > :12:30.France before beating the 32nd seed. Posters of the opponent in round 3

:12:31. > :12:37.had once adorned the 23-year-old's bedroom wall back in Guernsey. After

:12:38. > :12:40.Watson's one-time heroine Serena Williams took an effortless 25

:12:41. > :12:47.minutes to claim the first set, there was no sign of an upset. Then

:12:48. > :12:51.midway through the second Watson galvanised through the addressor.

:12:52. > :12:55.While she flew around the court as if her life depended on it, Williams

:12:56. > :13:31.was yards behind the pace. Humiliation can be painful. The Brit

:13:32. > :13:39.continued to turn the screw, much to the crowd's pleasure. That was

:13:40. > :13:45.probably the most enjoyable atmosphere I've ever played in this

:13:46. > :13:52.my life. The crowd was so loud, the loudest crowd I have ever played in

:13:53. > :13:57.front of. I get goose butches just thinking about it. Being on the

:13:58. > :14:05.court, after winning the second set, the roar.

:14:06. > :14:10.CHEERING. It was just, yeah, it's amazing. Watson took a three games

:14:11. > :14:18.to love lead in the decisive set, cheered on by the strident home

:14:19. > :14:20.fans. I don't think I have ever played the crowd here like that.

:14:21. > :14:30.They were really vocal. They were rooting for their champion

:14:31. > :14:36.to do really well. And you can't blame them. If I was here I would be

:14:37. > :14:41.rooting for her too. Being local, you want to see your girl do really

:14:42. > :14:47.well. Watson served for the match. Worrying a legend is one thing but

:14:48. > :14:51.beating her is another. Williams, like a cornered tigress, clawed her

:14:52. > :14:58.way to survival. I don't feel there is much I did wrong. She was just

:14:59. > :15:03.too good and her experience showed. Now I have to put it in perspective

:15:04. > :15:14.and just be positive about how I played. Yet again, Serena prevailed.

:15:15. > :15:22.But Heather Watson had fought an epic battle. Rarely had a Centre

:15:23. > :15:26.Court crowd's ovation for a loser been more richly deserved. The

:15:27. > :15:27.formidable American had kept her hopes alive of winning the grand

:15:28. > :15:37.slam. As a five-time champion progressed,

:15:38. > :15:46.another past winner said goodbye to Wimbledon. At his 17th and final

:15:47. > :15:50.appearance at the All-England Club, 34-year old Lleyton Hewitt

:15:51. > :15:54.remembered his 2002 victory. I guess more it was a dream to compete at

:15:55. > :15:58.Wimbledon and play there. For me it was always seen as the biggest

:15:59. > :16:03.tournament in the world. I just dreamt of hopefully being able to

:16:04. > :16:07.play on Centre Court one day. In the first round on Court to Mecca,

:16:08. > :16:14.Lleyton Hewitt was paired against a another soon to retire veteran,

:16:15. > :16:16.Finland's Jarkko Nieminen. Bowing out fighting in the only way he

:16:17. > :16:28.knows. A clan of Australian supporters

:16:29. > :16:30.known as the Fanatics lapped up every point their long-time hero ran

:16:31. > :16:51.down. There were flickers of the lusty of

:16:52. > :16:56.old throughout the four hour five sets, but it was eventually time for

:16:57. > :17:01.him to bid a fond farewell. Holding up that great Gold trophy with the

:17:02. > :17:03.pineapple on top, it's so unique and getting the replica trophy back in

:17:04. > :17:16.your house, it's nice to walk on to. There were other Antipodean Mo to

:17:17. > :17:20.cheer for. Court 17, and all Australian second-round showdown was

:17:21. > :17:25.taking place between friends and Wimbledon housemates, Sam Groff and

:17:26. > :17:33.James Duckworth. Both men also share the same coach, Ben Mathias. Sam

:17:34. > :17:37.Groff was playing in his maiden Wimbledon draw. Duckworth had

:17:38. > :17:43.reached round two at SW19 for the first time. Sam Groff was the

:17:44. > :17:47.victor. We reward for his efforts, a Centre Court encounter with Roger

:17:48. > :17:52.Federer. This is what you dream of as a kid. I dreamt of playing

:17:53. > :17:56.Wimbledon and getting the chance to play on a big court here and

:17:57. > :18:00.probably get to play the greatest player of all-time on that court. It

:18:01. > :18:04.helps with the experience of playing him in New York on that court. I

:18:05. > :18:08.will try to take some of those experiences I had there. I will walk

:18:09. > :18:11.out there with a game plan and also know what I'm planning to do out

:18:12. > :18:15.there. It's up to up to me to execute that. This is what every

:18:16. > :18:21.coach dreams of, to be coaching at Wimbledon. I will probably be

:18:22. > :18:25.feeling the same thing he will, I will be nervous, trying to calm him

:18:26. > :18:31.down, but there is nobody to calm me down! But I'm excited. Sam Groff

:18:32. > :18:37.boasts the fastest recorded served in history, 163 mph. How many

:18:38. > :18:47.would-be world number 69 hit to hinder Federer's progress?

:18:48. > :18:57.In the first game, the Australian and announced himself with a 142 mph

:18:58. > :19:02.strike. Then he hit the second fastest delivery in Wimbledon

:19:03. > :19:08.history, just one mile per hour shy of Taylor Dent's all-time record.

:19:09. > :19:14.But when Federer came to terms with the power of the Australian's serve,

:19:15. > :19:22.the task of shaping the win became easier.

:19:23. > :19:35.Federer's serve didn't look too bad either. Game and second set,

:19:36. > :19:39.Federer. Groth lifted his game and took the second set tie-break. At

:19:40. > :19:44.times his touch was way above his ranking. The drama didn't last with

:19:45. > :19:50.Federer regrouping, secure in the early break and Groth was never able

:19:51. > :19:50.to get back on serve. The Swiss progressed through to the fourth

:19:51. > :20:08.round. The powerful Australian's Wimbledon

:20:09. > :20:19.journey was over. The way ahead for the almost

:20:20. > :20:23.faultless Federer was still fraught with danger, with potential

:20:24. > :20:26.match-ups against Andy Murray and Djokovic in line, as he looked to

:20:27. > :20:31.win his first major title in three years. Federer has only won one

:20:32. > :20:36.grand slam final since the Australian Open of 2010.

:20:37. > :20:40.Significantly, that was on the grass at than three years ago. He has

:20:41. > :20:44.played fabulous tennis in the first week, often the case with Federer.

:20:45. > :20:49.All of us are now waiting to see whether the matches get tougher and

:20:50. > :20:53.the possible T he might have to play both Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic

:20:54. > :20:59.to win the title, is he able to win those matches still at the age of

:21:00. > :21:05.34? Like the seven time champion, Serena Williams had also focused her

:21:06. > :21:11.sights on Wimbledon to show age is an irrelevance compared to sheer

:21:12. > :21:15.quality and true tennis greatness. I think actions speak louder than

:21:16. > :21:21.words. Serena has downplayed the pursuit of the calendar year grand

:21:22. > :21:30.slam, or even the "Serena slammed" in 2015. But withdrawing from the

:21:31. > :21:36.doubles with Venus, the fact she did that, that documents how much she is

:21:37. > :21:39.emphasising the pursuit of the grand slam. The world number one couldn't

:21:40. > :21:45.totally avoid the attentions of her sibling. In the fourth round of the

:21:46. > :21:54.singles, her opponent was the five-time champion, venous ebony

:21:55. > :21:58.star Williams. What is her legacy? I don't think her legacy is over yet.

:21:59. > :22:04.It's too early to comment. She has done more than most people have done

:22:05. > :22:10.with several lifetimes, in life and in tennis. So the good part is still

:22:11. > :22:19.good times to come. I would expect more people to be rooting for me. I

:22:20. > :22:25.would be rooting for Venus Williams. Serena said she thought the crowd

:22:26. > :22:29.would cheer for you in the match. She said she knew she would cheer

:22:30. > :22:32.for you if she was in the crowd. That's interesting. I would rather

:22:33. > :22:49.cheer for her! First set, Miss Serena Williams to

:22:50. > :22:52.serve. Ready. Combined, the sisters had monopolised Wimbledon with ten

:22:53. > :22:58.singles titles since the turn-of-the-century. In this, their

:22:59. > :22:59.26th career encounter, it was Serena who dominated from the outset with

:23:00. > :23:21.her big hitting. Tennis legends both may be, but as

:23:22. > :23:26.they embraced at the net, they were simply two close sisters. No hard

:23:27. > :23:34.feelings, never ever. The world number one remained on course to

:23:35. > :23:39.make grand slam history. Defending champion Djokovic was improving with

:23:40. > :23:45.each round, having cruised past Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber and

:23:46. > :23:49.Jarkko Nieminen, he produced another commanding performance to outplay

:23:50. > :24:00.Australian Bernard Tomic to reach the second week. Could anyone halt

:24:01. > :24:05.his masterly progress? The reigning women's champion, Petra Kvitova had

:24:06. > :24:11.been playing superbly. Surrendering only three games in her first two

:24:12. > :24:15.matches. Against Jelena Jankovic, a former world double one, the second

:24:16. > :24:20.seed was a set and break up and it looks like victory was a formality

:24:21. > :24:28.in under one hour. And then suddenly, Kvitova crumbled as her

:24:29. > :24:31.opponent to build a more solid game. The champion found herself in a

:24:32. > :24:36.decider where she continued to unravel. As Kvitova lost her grip on

:24:37. > :24:43.the beloved trophy, an almost astonished Jankovic celebrated.

:24:44. > :24:50.Good evening ladies and gentlemen, press conference for Petra Kvitova.

:24:51. > :24:53.English questions first as usual. Earlier in the week you spoke about

:24:54. > :24:57.when you first won Wimbledon and what it was like to come back and

:24:58. > :25:05.all the pressures at that time. What has it been like this time? Losing

:25:06. > :25:08.in the third round, not making the second week of my favourite

:25:09. > :25:18.tournament, that's really sad for me. I really don't know what I can

:25:19. > :25:22.say, but... That's it. Home hopes were high for Andy Murray. A decade

:25:23. > :25:25.had passed since the Scot first played in the main draw at the

:25:26. > :25:30.All-England Club will stop even including his title year of 2013,

:25:31. > :25:35.his form was perceived as never being better. When you reflect on

:25:36. > :25:41.ten years of Andy Murray at Wimbledon, he has evolved massively,

:25:42. > :25:45.physically and mentally. I don't think he found it particularly easy

:25:46. > :25:49.playing at Wimbledon. I think the pressure and attention and the

:25:50. > :25:52.spotlight, being the best British player playing in the best

:25:53. > :26:00.tournament in the world as the home player. It wasn't particularly easy,

:26:01. > :26:03.but now having won the tournament in 2013 and becoming more experienced

:26:04. > :26:09.with everything that goes with it, I see him as the complete player. I

:26:10. > :26:16.think that when he worked with Ivan Lendl and when he helped him win the

:26:17. > :26:20.Olympic gold and his two Grand Slams, the focus was very much on

:26:21. > :26:26.focusing on helping become more aggressive at the right times and

:26:27. > :26:29.more often. Since he started working with Amelie Mauresmo, because she

:26:30. > :26:36.played and feels the game in the same way Andy does, with the slices

:26:37. > :26:41.and drop shots and lobs and changing the pace and depth of the ball,

:26:42. > :26:45.reading the game really well, I think she has brought those subtle

:26:46. > :26:49.skills back into his game, which is how I taught him to play all those

:26:50. > :26:55.years ago. It's how I like to see tennis played. It was no laughing

:26:56. > :27:02.matter for the champion in round four. Big hitting Kevin Anderson had

:27:03. > :27:08.taken a 2-0 lead on Court One. Time for the world number one to prove

:27:09. > :27:13.just why, right now, he's undeniably the best male player on the planet.

:27:14. > :27:15.Djokovic outplayed the Florida -based South African in the third

:27:16. > :27:32.set. He managed to just hold on the

:27:33. > :27:51.fourth. Frustratingly, fading light stopped

:27:52. > :27:59.play. The match resumed 16 hours later for the deciding set. At 5-5,

:28:00. > :28:14.Anderson dramatically surrendered to the Serb.

:28:15. > :28:23.As the reigning champion egg sailed a huge sigh of relief, the women's

:28:24. > :28:30.quarterfinalists took centre stage. The unconventional Swiss was beaten

:28:31. > :28:42.by the gifted young Spaniard, Garbine Muguruza.

:28:43. > :28:46.Young American Madison Keys is another emergent player with

:28:47. > :28:49.potentially a big future, but this year's hopes were thwarted by

:28:50. > :29:02.Radwanska. The player from the United States

:29:03. > :29:07.pushed Maria Sharapova to a fourth set before falling. The previous

:29:08. > :29:11.month in Paris former world number one Victoria Azarenka forced Serena

:29:12. > :29:15.Williams to play a decider en route to the American taking the title.

:29:16. > :29:20.Williams showed herself to be it's stronger that day. It was a similar

:29:21. > :29:26.story on Centre Court. Serena was only two matches away from winning

:29:27. > :29:31.her 21st major title. Frenchman Gilles Simon has always been a neat

:29:32. > :29:36.and tidy player, but not quite efficient enough to upset the master

:29:37. > :29:43.of tennis grace Federer, who moved on to his tenth Wimbledon final in

:29:44. > :29:49.straight sets. Likewise Andy Murray was simply too ruthlessly efficient

:29:50. > :29:59.for Canada's Vasek Pospisil, playing in his first ever major

:30:00. > :30:02.quarterfinal. After being extended in the previous round, Novak

:30:03. > :30:11.Djokovic decided that haste was the order of the day against US Open

:30:12. > :30:16.champion, Marin Cilic. So it was left to Wawrinka and Frenchman

:30:17. > :30:21.Richard Gasquet, two of the most esthetic performers in the current

:30:22. > :30:28.men's game, to provide the most evenly matched quarterfinal. Both

:30:29. > :30:31.men are supreme exponents of the classic backhand, as the No 1 Court

:30:32. > :30:58.crowd came to admire. But it was Gasquet who came out on

:30:59. > :31:03.top in a truly enthralling contest. The most captivating women's tennis

:31:04. > :31:06.of the fortnight had been when Serena Williams gave Heather Watson

:31:07. > :31:10.and Victoria Azarenka definite opportunities to claim victory. In

:31:11. > :31:17.her semifinal against Maria Sharapova, there were no such

:31:18. > :31:24.chances. Sharapova last beat Williams in 2004. 11 years on, the

:31:25. > :31:30.American's powerful serve and ferocious ground strokes proved too

:31:31. > :31:43.much for the Russian, whose tally of unforced errors didn't help matters.

:31:44. > :31:50.Williams score as 17th successive victory over the fourth seed, to

:31:51. > :31:57.move within one win of a second Serena slam. In the other semi, 13th

:31:58. > :32:03.seed Radwanska faced the 20th seed, Muguruza. The match was a thriller.

:32:04. > :32:10.It see Saud back and forth from the clutches of the Spaniard in the

:32:11. > :32:23.first set... To hands of the Pole, who stole the second to restore

:32:24. > :32:30.party. Finally Muguruza grasped the decider, displaying remarkable

:32:31. > :32:39.composure to win her major maiden semifinal. In an era when Rafael

:32:40. > :32:43.Nadal has played a dominant goal in the men's game, Garbine Muguruza was

:32:44. > :32:49.the first to win a Grand Slam final in 15 years. I am the worst when you

:32:50. > :32:53.see Federer, Djokovic, Murray and me, admitted the 21st seed Richard

:32:54. > :32:58.Gasquet ahead of his major semifinal. Yet the Frenchman had

:32:59. > :33:03.outlasted the new King of Clay, Wawrinka, in the quarters. His

:33:04. > :33:10.opponent, the French Open runner-up, was playing in his sixth consecutive

:33:11. > :33:19.Wimbledon semi. He acknowledged Gasquet's grass court abilities.

:33:20. > :33:25.Aside from Wawrinka, Gasquet had beaten both the Australian Nick

:33:26. > :33:34.Kyrgios and Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov, who in 2014 had proved

:33:35. > :33:40.quality on Wimbledon's grass. However, Djokovic was once more in

:33:41. > :34:09.control of all aspects of his game, playing with poise and precision.

:34:10. > :34:15.While the crowd enjoyed the Frenchman's elegant ground strokes,

:34:16. > :34:19.Gasquet's touch and style were not enough to overcome the robotic

:34:20. > :34:30.relentlessness of the world number one.

:34:31. > :34:36.Hitting anglings like that, few players from the past as well as the

:34:37. > :34:49.present could live with the 28-year-old master. Novak Djokovic

:34:50. > :34:53.reached his 15th final from the last 20 Grand Slam events. The Serb's

:34:54. > :34:58.record in major tournaments is something very special. However, it

:34:59. > :35:03.still has some way to go to eclipse that of Roger Federer, who was four

:35:04. > :35:11.years of age when Boris Becker won his first title at SW 19. I always

:35:12. > :35:17.watched tennis on the TV. The main thing was Wimbledon. I was rooting

:35:18. > :35:25.first for Beckham and then for Edberg. On those hard matches, if

:35:26. > :35:31.one of those two lost... He also learnt a lot from those matches, I

:35:32. > :35:36.believe. Federer's game during the Championships had been near perfect,

:35:37. > :35:43.with one standout weapon in his armoury. He is serving so well. This

:35:44. > :35:49.puts him in a quite comfortable situation. He's not so much under

:35:50. > :35:55.pressure. OK, you are always under pressure, but as he is serving so

:35:56. > :35:59.well, he hardly gets broken. I think he got broken once, and I'm proud of

:36:00. > :36:06.him. Federer and Murray arrived together on Centre Court for the

:36:07. > :36:14.third time in their career. UMPIRE: Roger Federer to serve.

:36:15. > :36:18.Play. Federer was victorious in the Wimbledon final of 2012, while

:36:19. > :36:23.Murray struck back on the same plot of grass to level the head to head

:36:24. > :36:28.record 28 days later in the Olympic final. Since then the Swiss has not

:36:29. > :36:33.added to his major tally, while the Scot has become a double Grand Slam

:36:34. > :36:50.winner. Could Murray halt the maestro's bid for history?

:36:51. > :36:56.Murray was not playing badly. In fact he was playing extremely well,

:36:57. > :37:05.and would have been too good for most other players who set out in

:37:06. > :37:07.the 128-strong draw. However, his opponent had an answer for

:37:08. > :37:26.everything that Murray threw at him. It was one of those days when

:37:27. > :37:45.Federer's tennis was nothing short of magnificent.

:37:46. > :37:53.He outserved the Scot. He outrallied him, and sliced and diced him to

:37:54. > :37:55.such an extent that Murray simply found himself searching for new

:37:56. > :38:31.ideas. UMPIRE: Game and second set,

:38:32. > :38:52.Federer. In the end, the Scot had to accept

:38:53. > :38:56.that there are occasions when the tennis gods bestow superhuman

:38:57. > :38:58.powers, and Federer on this particular afternoon was the chosen

:38:59. > :39:19.one. UMPIRE: Game, set and match,

:39:20. > :39:24.Federer. For those interested in the statistics, the Swiss hit 56 winners

:39:25. > :39:28.and 20 aces. It was a vintage performance from Federer, who was

:39:29. > :39:31.now only one victory away from an 8th Wimbledon title, and 18th Grand

:39:32. > :39:51.Slam crown. Serena Williams was a great champion

:39:52. > :39:55.before this player became her coach, but the Frenchman has directed her

:39:56. > :39:59.to new elves of authority and consistency which weren't always the

:40:00. > :40:04.case before. Her will, her dedication, her fighting spirit, the

:40:05. > :40:10.way she refused to lose is something that I've never seen, she is never

:40:11. > :40:16.satisfied about anything, whether it is during practises or matches. Even

:40:17. > :40:21.when she wins. To be part of writing the history of tennis, even if it is

:40:22. > :40:24.a small part, whatever it is, emotionally it is incredible.

:40:25. > :40:29.Whatever is going to happen in the future, it is already more than

:40:30. > :40:33.enough. Who at the start of the fortnight would have envisaged that

:40:34. > :40:37.Serena's last opponent at the 2015 championships would have been the

:40:38. > :40:43.endearing Spaniard, Garbine Muguruza? I think it is amazing.

:40:44. > :40:51.Amazing is the word. It's been an amazing day, incredible matches, a

:40:52. > :40:55.lot of emotion. One more day. Getting to the final was a great

:40:56. > :40:59.goal. I had made it to the quarterfinals, so it was a big goal.

:41:00. > :41:03.You have to do it, have to lose the fear. You have to be confident. You

:41:04. > :41:07.have your options to win the match. You are in the final. You deserve to

:41:08. > :41:11.be here, so you just have to fight for it. Believe that you can do it.

:41:12. > :41:15.It is the epitome of what a tennis player works for, the finals of

:41:16. > :41:20.Wimbledon. It doesn't get better than that. Whether I would win or

:41:21. > :41:28.lose, all mid life I've dreamt of this moment. To have it happen again

:41:29. > :41:32.is very special. At one end a competitor playing her 25th major

:41:33. > :41:34.final. At the other, a novice vying for the biggest of prizes for the

:41:35. > :41:53.first time. Try as Muguruza did, experience

:41:54. > :42:07.provides a potent advantage in such situations.

:42:08. > :42:15.Most who knew a thing or two seemed to recognise the way this one was

:42:16. > :42:58.progressing. But even the greats can be misled.

:42:59. > :43:04.Muguruza showed indisputably there was enough to her game to suggest

:43:05. > :43:16.one day soon she would be lifting a glittering prize.

:43:17. > :43:35.But Serena is never more dangerous than when threatened.

:43:36. > :43:45.She had set her heart on that 21st major title and what she wants she

:43:46. > :43:52.usually gets. Going into this year, 2015, my goal was to women

:43:53. > :43:57.Wimbledon. It's been, I really wanted to do well here. Holding that

:43:58. > :44:00.trophy feels so good. It feels like the first time every time. The last

:44:01. > :44:04.12 months have been just unbelievable. I definitely don't

:44:05. > :44:10.think I would have written a better story. But yeah, I just feel like it

:44:11. > :44:15.all started at the Open, with me just taking a huge breath and

:44:16. > :44:22.relaxing and saying, Serena, relax, enjoy this. Have fun. After that

:44:23. > :44:26.I've been on this whole super-calm... For me calm. I look

:44:27. > :44:29.really intense on the court but that's a calm Serena. Just enjoying

:44:30. > :44:40.the moments that I have. One o'clock on Tuesday, that's

:44:41. > :44:45.something I really look forward to. I can't wait for that. 30 years ago,

:44:46. > :44:54.Boris Becker opened his legendary wimble -- Wimbledon account with the

:44:55. > :44:58.first of three titles. Now his charge, Djokovic, was looking to

:44:59. > :45:02.equal that achievement against an opponent in Roger Federer, who was

:45:03. > :45:09.in search of an eighth Wimbledon crown. It's a match I was expecting,

:45:10. > :45:15.hoping I could play the entire year. There's a lot of expectations, a lot

:45:16. > :45:18.at stake. It's a weak draw for the sport and we will both be going out

:45:19. > :45:23.to the court very excited and wanting to win. The game is now very

:45:24. > :45:27.much a game of movement. It's whoever moves best who is world

:45:28. > :45:34.number one, plus whoever is fit and can get the job done. Novak has been

:45:35. > :45:38.best on hard courts in the last few years but has improved a tonne on

:45:39. > :45:42.the grass and he knows what expecting Wimbledon finals. It's the

:45:43. > :45:47.same for me. It's always going to be big. He's one of my biggest rivals.

:45:48. > :45:50.Through the matches I have played against him, especially in Grand

:45:51. > :45:54.Slams, I became a better player and understood what I am doing wrong and

:45:55. > :46:00.what I needed to do in order to get in front of him. Yeah, that's a big,

:46:01. > :46:06.big part of his contribution to my progress and my success. I have been

:46:07. > :46:15.playing very well for six matches now. Keep it up for one more match,

:46:16. > :46:20.here we go. The 129th Men's Singles final, a showdown between the worlds

:46:21. > :46:24.two finest players. The defending champion against a seven time

:46:25. > :46:33.winner. The 40th career encounter with Federer leaving Djokovic 20-19.

:46:34. > :46:38.-- leading Djokovic. From the outset it was clear the majority of the

:46:39. > :46:43.crowd support was behind Federer. Masilevu greeted the first break

:46:44. > :47:02.going to the Swiss. -- mass elation greeted. Djokovic fought back.

:47:03. > :47:06.He served to stay in their set, saved a set point and forced a

:47:07. > :47:26.tie-break. Djokovic won the break, helped along

:47:27. > :47:35.the way by an uncharacteristic Federer double fault.

:47:36. > :47:49.In the second, the quality of play was nothing short of immaculate as

:47:50. > :47:54.another tie-break ends you'd. -- ensued.

:47:55. > :48:00.The Serb took a 3-1 lead. The Swiss needed to summon up something

:48:01. > :48:30.special. Djokovic led 4-2 as the players

:48:31. > :48:32.changed ends. Federer struck back and completed the next chapter of

:48:33. > :48:47.the final. The reigning champion handed Federer

:48:48. > :48:51.his first set point. Sensing an unlikely sliver of charity, the

:48:52. > :49:00.Swiss came to the net and struck a decisive backhand volley.

:49:01. > :49:10.15,000 fans roared their approval. Federer had saved seven set points

:49:11. > :49:14.to stay in the match. Could this high-stakes duel remain such a

:49:15. > :49:15.closely fought affair, or could either man surge forward to

:49:16. > :49:23.dominate? The answer, Djokovic cranked his

:49:24. > :49:44.game into another gear. Great champions like Federer do not

:49:45. > :49:46.simply capitulate without dragging out every last ounce of resistance

:49:47. > :50:08.they can muster. But there are some very good reasons

:50:09. > :50:12.why Djokovic has become almost unassailable after a year on top of

:50:13. > :50:23.the world rankings. And with that supremacy, the greatest prizes. As

:50:24. > :50:25.the reigning champion took a 5-3 lead, Federer's dream of a record

:50:26. > :50:57.eighth title slipped away. Djokovic won his ninth grand slam

:50:58. > :51:00.title, overtaking the likes of Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi and Ivan Lendl

:51:01. > :51:05.in the all-time list of major winners. It feels like the first

:51:06. > :51:11.time every time that I managed to win. It's a very special court, the

:51:12. > :51:16.best tournament and most well-known tennis tournament in the world. A

:51:17. > :51:20.very special occasion. It was not easy after Roland Garros, losing in

:51:21. > :51:26.the final. Having to regroup. But when I was on the court I felt the

:51:27. > :51:30.drive and strength and motivation and self belief to keep going,

:51:31. > :51:35.wanting to go all the way. It's very fulfilling. The champion had matched

:51:36. > :51:43.his coach's Wimbledon accomplishments. Novak Djokovic

:51:44. > :51:47.celebrated his third title success at the All-England Club.