:00:55. > :01:06.Third Championship point. He's got it! Look at what it means to them!
:01:07. > :01:09.Good morning and welcome to Wimbledon for a weekend of finals.
:01:10. > :01:13.From one o'clock, we will be concentrating on Centre Court, with
:01:14. > :01:17.Venus Williams facing Garbine Muguruza. But our very first final
:01:18. > :01:22.here at Wimbledon is the wheelchair men's doubles, and it features the
:01:23. > :01:27.British pair and defending champions, Gordon Reid and Alfie
:01:28. > :01:32.Hewett, who are just starting so-so warm up. They are up against the
:01:33. > :01:35.French pair of Houdet and Peifer, who they beat in the final last
:01:36. > :01:44.year, but who beat them in the Paralympics. It is a bit overcast,
:01:45. > :01:47.and there is a 2000 capacity here, on Court No. 3, which means more
:01:48. > :01:51.people will be able to see this final than ever before, when they
:01:52. > :01:55.realise it is here! Steve, this is going to be a great final? It's
:01:56. > :02:01.going to be fantastic. I have watched them all their way through
:02:02. > :02:04.this competition, but that is enough from me, Jordanne Whiley, no
:02:05. > :02:07.stranger to Wimbledon finals, you have got another one tomorrow. But
:02:08. > :02:12.for now, it is about the guys. They're going to be feeling nervous?
:02:13. > :02:16.Naturally. It is a final, and it is a tough match. But if I know the
:02:17. > :02:21.boys, I know how much they want it, so they're going to be pumped Fish I
:02:22. > :02:41.met up with the two dies yesterday after their semifinal win.
:02:42. > :02:48.There's no way you could say that was an easy semifinal? We never
:02:49. > :02:53.thought it was going to be easy. They are two really good doubles
:02:54. > :02:56.players, very experienced, and we did a very good job to come back
:02:57. > :03:09.after losing that second set to win it.
:03:10. > :03:16.Now, looking forward to the final, how are you feeling about it today?
:03:17. > :03:20.It is what we wanted, we want another crack at the French boys. We
:03:21. > :03:24.beat them here last year, and we want to beat them again. I think we
:03:25. > :03:30.have shown some great signs of a kind of tennis that we need to play
:03:31. > :03:33.to do that. Hopefully, on Court No. 3, the British public will get
:03:34. > :03:37.behind us and create a good atmosphere on that court. It's quite
:03:38. > :03:41.interesting, actually, watching them develop as a pair. In the early
:03:42. > :03:46.days, Jordan was the senior partner, Alfie was the younger one coming
:03:47. > :03:52.through, do you feel it is more equal now? Definitely. And at times,
:03:53. > :03:55.I have seen Alfie taking the lead, which really shows maturity. And
:03:56. > :03:59.also they have been taking advantage of the ice baths that we have heard
:04:00. > :04:03.about with Andy Murray, taking two a day. The two of them got in together
:04:04. > :04:08.yesterday, to help them recover from the long matches under a lot of
:04:09. > :04:12.pressure. A want to do well here because it is their home crowd,
:04:13. > :04:17.their family, and general supporters in the crowd. Steve, at least they
:04:18. > :04:19.have got a really professional approach but? They really have, but
:04:20. > :04:25.it shows the friendship they have got as well! Coming through the way
:04:26. > :04:30.they have, Gordon Reid may be overseeing a little bit of Alfie's
:04:31. > :04:36.development. They're already saying, Gordon is trying to push Alfie back
:04:37. > :04:38.down, he's seeing him more of a threat than somebody to mentor now.
:04:39. > :04:43.It has been really good watching them develop. The chemistry is not
:04:44. > :04:48.just on court. What about the French pair, they are really strong? They
:04:49. > :04:53.are rev really talented players. They have shown that, in the
:04:54. > :04:57.Paralympic final, and also some times this year when they have
:04:58. > :05:02.beaten them. It's going to be tough but I really believe in the boys. It
:05:03. > :05:05.is a big day, I'm thrilled that it has got a bigger court, and I know
:05:06. > :05:10.as the match progresses, it's going to start filling up, and that's
:05:11. > :05:15.going to help the boys, isn't it? I think so. Home crowd, Wimbledon,
:05:16. > :05:20.they are defending champions as well. They've got a lot to play for.
:05:21. > :05:23.This is not something they have just turned up for, they have put in a
:05:24. > :05:26.lot of time and effort to be at their best for this competition.
:05:27. > :05:30.Winning this is something they want to do and they have worked hard for
:05:31. > :05:35.it. Jordanne Whiley, talk us through the relative strengths Gordon, first
:05:36. > :05:41.of all, what are his best shots, how does he play? Gordon is very handy
:05:42. > :05:46.at the net. He has good skills, very talented. Alfie is fearless, young,
:05:47. > :05:51.he just wants to go out and give it his best every single time he's on
:05:52. > :05:55.the court. Although two bounces are allowed, is it more effective to
:05:56. > :06:00.take it on the first bounce if you can? Definitely, if you can do that
:06:01. > :06:04.you definitely have the advantage. The ball really does slow down when
:06:05. > :06:09.you're playing on the grass. Going back to the relationship, if you
:06:10. > :06:13.watch Alfie and his body language, and how different it is from Gordon
:06:14. > :06:20.Reid. He really lets his frustration show, whereas Gordon sits back and
:06:21. > :06:24.absorbs it a lot more, internally. Alfie is very, very open about his
:06:25. > :06:27.body language. And Gordon also, he tends to have a lot of supporters,
:06:28. > :06:35.and quite often they will turn up wearing their hair band thing that
:06:36. > :06:41.he's got? Definitely. Alfie is very expressive, he has always been like
:06:42. > :06:46.that, he's a little bit like myself. What has their record been like so
:06:47. > :06:50.far this year in the Grand Slams? Cordon and Alfie have done quite
:06:51. > :06:57.well this year. Obviously, they are defending the title from here last
:06:58. > :07:00.year. But they have struggled this year against Houdet and Peifer so
:07:01. > :07:04.I'm really hoping they can pull it out of the bag. Steve, what do you
:07:05. > :07:08.think about how the match might go? I don't think it's going to be very
:07:09. > :07:12.easy for either of them. If you look up to the build-up to this, in the
:07:13. > :07:17.semifinals yesterday, it went to three sets. They pulled it back in
:07:18. > :07:22.the third set. How are you looking at the pairings, and I don't think
:07:23. > :07:28.this is going to be easy for anyone, what do you think? It's not an easy
:07:29. > :07:32.match, it's really tough, four amazing, talented players and I
:07:33. > :07:35.think it's going to be an amazing match. There is going to be an awful
:07:36. > :07:39.lot of support here as well. It could be the first of the British
:07:40. > :07:42.successes this weekend. We've got hopes in the next doubles tomorrow,
:07:43. > :07:49.but also, in the wheelchair doubles, Jordanne Whiley yourself, and Yui
:07:50. > :07:55.Kamiji, the partner you have describe as your bag for life! And
:07:56. > :08:00.she still is my bag for life! Should be good? I really think so, again,
:08:01. > :08:03.it's the chemistry, it's the look between you, it says so much. You
:08:04. > :08:09.don't need to talk when you're playing with her. No, we don't, we
:08:10. > :08:15.literally just have eye contact, a little wink and a smile, and
:08:16. > :08:18.everything is fine! It must help so much if you can naturally understand
:08:19. > :08:21.each other. It is a very special bond when you have that with
:08:22. > :08:25.someone, because you don't necessarily need to do the talking
:08:26. > :08:29.all the time and the tactics. We're so lucky that we have that, and I
:08:30. > :08:33.think that is a base foundation of why we're so great. Absolutely, it
:08:34. > :08:39.is key. You haven't got time to talk, it doesn't matter about
:08:40. > :08:42.language, or how much you can communicate, you need to be able to
:08:43. > :08:48.read each other's body language. It's just the little nods and
:08:49. > :08:51.smiles, they go along way. It's going to be fascinating,
:08:52. > :08:57.best-of-three sets, and the only difference in the rules is, the ball
:08:58. > :09:06.can bounce twice. Everything else is exactly the same. It is a fairly
:09:07. > :09:09.still day, there's just a small threat of rain, but hopefully it
:09:10. > :09:21.will stay dry. We can hand you over to commentary now, with Nick
:09:22. > :09:26.Mullins, and the quadfather himself, Peter Norfolk.
:09:27. > :09:31.NICK MULLINS: On the other side of the net, the French pair they beat
:09:32. > :09:38.in a third set tie-break last year. This is what they've done so far,
:09:39. > :09:44.the French were taken to three sets yesterday by Stefan Olsson and
:09:45. > :09:50.Maikel Scheffers in the semifinal. Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett working
:09:51. > :09:53.really hard to come through against Gustavo Fernandez and Shingo Kunieda
:09:54. > :10:00.late yesterday evening, so it has been a fairly quick turnaround for
:10:01. > :10:08.them, shifting from a more homely surroundings of Court No. 17 to
:10:09. > :10:19.Court No. 3 here. Peter Norfolk is alongside me. Winner of 100 Grand
:10:20. > :10:22.Slam titles in his time! Anything he does not know about this sport is
:10:23. > :10:30.barely worth knowing. Good morning, Peter. Good morning, everyone, good
:10:31. > :10:36.morning, Nick. A lot of anticipation and excitement for this one. A bit
:10:37. > :10:42.of history. I commentated on a fabulous match back in Rio 2016,
:10:43. > :10:49.which unfortunately the British pair lost, but it was a thrilling match.
:10:50. > :10:58.That's Stefan, who, the Paralympic gold medallist. Collecting a modicum
:10:59. > :11:04.of Wimbledon revenge to claim the gold medal. And they are building up
:11:05. > :11:06.quite a history, these two now. They played each other most recently at
:11:07. > :11:21.the French Open, at Roland Garros. And this really should be wheelchair
:11:22. > :11:27.tennis of the highest quality. The French top seeds, favourites, Houdet
:11:28. > :11:36.and Peifer, against the British defending champions. They are the
:11:37. > :11:50.top four sides, so in the doubles rankings, number one, two, three and
:11:51. > :11:58.four. That's the 26-year-old who lives just outside Paris, Peifer,
:11:59. > :12:02.not far from the Palace. And his partner, who is now 46, continuing
:12:03. > :12:05.to play at an incredible level, one of the old soldiers of the sport,
:12:06. > :12:10.Stephane Houdet, former world number one. Currently third in the rankings
:12:11. > :12:14.and as good as he has ever been, Peter? Absolutely, he's fit as a are
:12:15. > :12:18.going to, hugely intelligent and personable. He's taken over the
:12:19. > :12:28.mantle, I think I was the oldest player at one point! He still loves
:12:29. > :12:31.the sport, loves playing. He's got this special chair where he has try
:12:32. > :12:37.to change his sitting position. Is that the car bomb one that we were
:12:38. > :12:41.talking about last year -- the carbon one? Absolutely, and it's
:12:42. > :12:49.completely innovative. He's not sat on a conventional seat. You look at
:12:50. > :12:53.the Peifer on the right, in the moulded carbon fibre one. Every time
:12:54. > :12:59.your body moves, the chair moves with you. Houdet has got suspension
:13:00. > :13:03.on the chair, and they've put a lot of research and development into
:13:04. > :13:09.this. It must cost a few bob? It sure did. I understand it was about
:13:10. > :13:15.?100,000. It is a one-off. Most chairs don't cost that much, that's
:13:16. > :13:22.for sure! But it is an interesting development. As we look at Gordon
:13:23. > :13:31.getting a last-minute tweak by the wheelchair repair man. And that is
:13:32. > :13:37.really important in terms of the way Gordon Reid will want to play?
:13:38. > :13:47.Absolutely. He's got way too much play there. If it's too low on the
:13:48. > :13:51.ground, essentially, it would be taking the big wheels off the grass
:13:52. > :13:58.and you won't be going anywhere! If it's too high research the ground,
:13:59. > :14:03.when he leans back to get a smash or serve, the chair is going to tip too
:14:04. > :14:06.much. It is crucial to get it right. I'm surprised he's doing that now,
:14:07. > :14:10.but then again, they haven't played on this court yet. No, they were out
:14:11. > :14:34.on court No. 17, as we were saying. Now, for this final, they're on
:14:35. > :14:40.Court No. 3. And that is where we are, where the old Court No. 2 used
:14:41. > :14:47.to be before they rebuilt it and moved it a little further south. It
:14:48. > :14:52.is a wonderful arena and a fabulous place to showcase this sport for the
:14:53. > :14:59.next couple of hours. Yeah, it's a great court, really good. Hopefully
:15:00. > :15:03.it will get filled up with a lot more crowded. They're only just
:15:04. > :15:09.coming in, really, into the grounds. The bigger the crowd, I think the
:15:10. > :15:17.more the players will play to that. So, here we go. Gordon Reid has had
:15:18. > :15:22.his pit stop. He and Alfie Hewett are ready to try and win this
:15:23. > :15:30.doubles title for the second year running. It will be Gordon Reid who
:15:31. > :16:24.will get us under way. Permaul lush grass, the harder it is
:16:25. > :16:31.to get any kind of speed? -- the more lush the grass. Totally right.
:16:32. > :16:34.Even though you have a second bounce, if you want it, the ball is
:16:35. > :17:07.dying. Gordon Reid, the 25-year-old
:17:08. > :17:55.left-hander from Glasgow. It's the French pair who strike
:17:56. > :18:00.first. From a British pass back, best not to be too alarmed by the
:18:01. > :18:04.breaks of serve. Sometimes it can be more tricky to hold serve from the
:18:05. > :18:14.chair. There will be more breaks over the course of this final. But
:18:15. > :18:15.immediately, an indication of what Houdet and Peifer offer as a
:18:16. > :18:25.challenge. First to serve for the French,
:18:26. > :19:35.Stephane Houdet. Stephane Houdet, one of the great
:19:36. > :19:38.flag flyers for this sport for such a long time now. I was wondering
:19:39. > :19:52.whether he was going to challenge there. If they can, on this court...
:19:53. > :20:00.What a shot by Hewett! It was a lovely forehand crosscourt from
:20:01. > :20:02.Peifer, and Hewett smashed it back across the front of Peifer for a
:20:03. > :20:24.winner. Look at Houdet's serving, he's
:20:25. > :20:31.lifting his wheel right off the ground, you watch! The effort he
:20:32. > :20:57.puts into it! That's Alfie Hewett, Norfolk's
:20:58. > :20:58.finest. Only 19 years old, pitching himself up against a 46-year-old
:20:59. > :21:27.serving. That was a good drop shot by Peifer,
:21:28. > :21:29.but Alfie saw it coming. I think Peifer was trying to be a bit too
:21:30. > :22:10.clever. That's a really nice angle. I think
:22:11. > :22:15.you will probably see more of that tactic today, with the green grass,
:22:16. > :22:29.itch much -- it's much harder for the guys to push the chairs.
:22:30. > :22:36.UMPIRE: The ball was called in. They do have Hawk-Eye today, they didn't
:22:37. > :22:40.have it on Court No. 17 yesterday. His challenging will get better! I
:22:41. > :22:59.think he just wanted to do it! It is really noticeable, how much
:23:00. > :23:08.greener, how much lusher, this court is. It is, it is so much slower. He
:23:09. > :23:23.saw that drop shot early, but it's hard to get the chair moving on the
:23:24. > :23:32.grass. Great pick-up by Hewett. It was, but Houdet just picked it up
:23:33. > :23:53.and lobbed it over the top - beautiful.
:23:54. > :24:13.UMPIRE: Game, Houdet and Peifer. NICK MULLINS: The French go two
:24:14. > :24:19.games up. It is a repeat of the French Open final from Roland
:24:20. > :24:22.Garros, where Houdet and Peifer took the title in straight sets. That was
:24:23. > :25:02.on clay. The British coaching team. That was hard work, but the hard
:25:03. > :25:08.work paid off. It was good work by Hewitt, saw it coming, great pushing
:25:09. > :25:16.in that hard part of the court, and Houdet couldn't quite control the
:25:17. > :25:21.volley. Who were trying to put it behind Hewett, because he knows
:25:22. > :25:32.Hewett is not going to be able to spin on that lush brass. -- grass.
:25:33. > :26:08.The side spin on that by Hewett! The crowd are loving that!
:26:09. > :26:15.That's the problem on serve - the receiver is moving all the time to
:26:16. > :26:24.get into the right position, and if you serve it into the hitting zone,
:26:25. > :26:33.it's going to be a winner. Yes, they are on the move. It is an integral
:26:34. > :26:38.part of the game. Absolutely right. Hewett saw that Peifer was moving
:26:39. > :26:44.very much, and swatted his forehand down into the tramlines. You've got
:26:45. > :27:06.to keep the chair moving - it's hugely important on the grass.
:27:07. > :27:12.Got to be careful - that's why they like big courts, so you don't run
:27:13. > :27:17.into walls and things, and damage the chair. I think even the crowd
:27:18. > :27:58.were getting worried! Houdet almost tipping out of his
:27:59. > :28:07.chair. Yesterday, watching the Argentinian Gustavo Fernandez, he
:28:08. > :28:15.was flying around like Boris Becker. Full of entertainment. So, deuce on
:28:16. > :28:49.the Hewett serve. You can see they're still trying to
:28:50. > :28:50.get used to this court, it's all reactive, the ball is staying low,
:28:51. > :29:48.and it's hard to push on this court. We've had a little bit of rain in
:29:49. > :29:55.south-west London first thing this morning - nothing serious, just one
:29:56. > :30:02.or two spits and spots. A little bit of a drizzle at the moment. It's not
:30:03. > :30:05.great for the chairs, either. If you've got titanium, it can end up
:30:06. > :30:27.slipping through your fingers. And the defending champions are on
:30:28. > :30:35.the scoreboard for the first time in this final. There might be some rain
:30:36. > :30:40.in the air, but it is not a dampening things? Certainly not. The
:30:41. > :30:49.best tennis at the moment seems to be coming mainly from Hewett and
:30:50. > :30:56.Houdet? Absolutely, but I think all four players are doing really well.
:30:57. > :31:00.It really is important, the equipment, you are only as good as
:31:01. > :31:06.your chair? Absolutely, to get the prep just right is crucial. These
:31:07. > :31:13.chairs can cost ?3000 to ?4000. With the grass, we saw Gordon Reid
:31:14. > :31:19.adjusting the back wheel up a bit, because the movement is very
:31:20. > :31:26.challenging. And the grip as well as important? Absolutely. But only on
:31:27. > :31:32.the grass, in terms of slipping, but the grip of your hands on the rim as
:31:33. > :32:44.well. Great work from the Scotsman.
:32:45. > :33:13.Fantastic overhead, very cool and calm.
:33:14. > :33:26.This time it is Houdet, who again took a little bit of a tumble. He
:33:27. > :33:34.hit it straight back to him but he was made ready for its, but the ball
:33:35. > :33:55.didn't bounce enough. He has been a regular visitor to the
:33:56. > :34:02.Wimbledon, since it became the last of the Grand Slams to invite the
:34:03. > :34:04.world's best players on wheels in. Always been the feeling that
:34:05. > :34:15.wheelchairs on grass were not necessarily a great makes. But
:34:16. > :34:18.people like the four we're watching right now have this proved that.
:34:19. > :34:23.Absolutely right, the chairs don't harm the grass, they're designed to
:34:24. > :34:48.skid across it as much as possible. Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett setting
:34:49. > :35:12.up the opportunity to get the break of serve back.
:35:13. > :35:27.We are all square again in the final.
:35:28. > :35:34.The French, much happier to do their work in or around the baseline. But
:35:35. > :35:37.as we have seen over the past couple of days, Gordon Reid and Alfie
:35:38. > :35:45.Hewett, one at the net, one at the baseline. Yeah, a bit more
:35:46. > :36:55.aggressive. Again, Hewett's going in, trying to change the play up.
:36:56. > :37:05.Gordon Reid, who has letters after his name these days, he collected
:37:06. > :37:08.his MBE from the Queen recently. It has been quite a 12 months for both
:37:09. > :37:17.of them, Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett. Gordon Reid shared champagne
:37:18. > :37:21.with Andy Murray and his team on that final Sunday last summer, when
:37:22. > :37:26.they became singles champions. And he deserve it. A lot of time and
:37:27. > :37:34.effort into the sport, great ambassadors, all of them. Just a
:37:35. > :37:52.little bit of a indication breakdown. -- any indication --
:37:53. > :37:53.communication breakdown. Yeah, they are all still feeling their way on
:37:54. > :38:55.this court. And for the first time in this
:38:56. > :39:04.final, the British pair are ahead. Just beginning to find their way
:39:05. > :39:10.around the court, Peter? Yes, and that's what they like doing, trying
:39:11. > :39:14.new things. The idea of Alfie Hewett going into the net, your opponent is
:39:15. > :39:26.going to be looking at him and what he's doing, rather than the server.
:39:27. > :39:36.It was a fabulous serve out wide. I think we will see more of that.
:39:37. > :39:44.Calls from the crowd, that's Alfie Hewett's lob! Grandad, ma'am,
:39:45. > :39:49.sister, brother. They've done well to get seats, and somewhere amongst
:39:50. > :39:56.them will be the coach as well, Steve! They're down in force from
:39:57. > :40:04.Norfolk, a little place which is equidistant between Norwich and
:40:05. > :40:07.Great Yarmouth. Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett not lacking for
:40:08. > :41:24.support, as you would expect, out here on Court No. 3 at the moment.
:41:25. > :41:31.Well, Gordon Reid did push, and eventually, they win the point.
:41:32. > :41:35.Peifer was pushing as hard as he could with those long arms, didn't
:41:36. > :43:03.quite manage it. The crowd loved that.
:43:04. > :43:11.How about that?! Fantastic, Gordon saw the drop shot coming. Drop shot
:43:12. > :43:22.for drop shot. It's what they needed, the break of serve. It was a
:43:23. > :43:28.lovely drop shot, second bounce, Gordon had time to scoop it back
:43:29. > :43:38.across court. On the line, great hands.
:43:39. > :44:00.I'm expecting them to start playing on Peifer, actually, he's making a
:44:01. > :44:20.few little mistakes. He had the spotlight all to himself
:44:21. > :44:27.last month, when he became the first Briton to win the French Open
:44:28. > :44:31.singles title. An indication of his fighting capabilities, coming back
:44:32. > :44:42.from a set down, saving two match points, he's a battler, Alfie
:44:43. > :44:47.Hewett. And very often, it seems, Peter, he's the weather vane of the
:44:48. > :44:53.British duo. When Hewett is playing well, they're playing well. He's
:44:54. > :44:57.very outward in his emotions, and you can tell how it's going, whether
:44:58. > :45:06.he's chuntering, whether he's smiling. You're did write. Also a
:45:07. > :45:20.bit more aggressive, coming into the court. -- you're dead right.
:45:21. > :45:32.The French working hard here to win this break back. The world number
:45:33. > :45:38.three and the world number five, amongst the best this sport has to
:45:39. > :45:49.offer. And the British break of serve didn't last long.
:45:50. > :46:00.CLARE BALDING: The French stopping a run-off four consecutive games for
:46:01. > :46:03.the British pair there. It is quite interesting, the French pair are so
:46:04. > :46:09.strong and experienced, but sometimes they can get cross with
:46:10. > :46:18.each other, Houdet getting particularly cross, Louise? Yeah,
:46:19. > :46:24.they are quite amusing, those little arguments. Gordon and Alfie are both
:46:25. > :46:30.playing exceptionally well, aren't they? They certainly are. I still
:46:31. > :46:34.feel Gordon and Alfie have got a good bit of momentum now. Hopefully
:46:35. > :46:40.they can carry it through this set. Louise, you said earlier, it is the
:46:41. > :46:46.first time you have seen Hawk-Eye used in wheelchair tennis, is it
:46:47. > :46:50.also the first time that an umpire has had to say seats, please, does
:46:51. > :47:02.-- to the crowd, because they're coming pouring in? Absolutely. This
:47:03. > :47:05.is fantastic. It is a great thing to see, all this interest. And I would
:47:06. > :47:10.say right now, it's about 90% full, once these people have sat down.
:47:11. > :47:16.This is a very tight match, as we get to the business end of the first
:47:17. > :47:21.set. NICK MULLINS: Yes, this court holds
:47:22. > :48:41.a couple of thousand, and it's very nearly full.
:48:42. > :48:47.Peifer, who has been a double amputee since early childhood. He
:48:48. > :48:49.took up this sport when he was only ten and became the world's best
:48:50. > :49:08.junior player for a couple of years. The effectiveness, particularly on
:49:09. > :49:15.this surface of that sliced backhand, Peter. Yeah, I think they
:49:16. > :49:19.need to use the slice more. If you slice it, they can't get underneath.
:49:20. > :49:30.And the court is certainly taking the slice, especially there.
:49:31. > :49:39.Couple of aces now for the French. And there is nothing to separate
:49:40. > :49:46.them in this men's wheelchair doubles final at Wimbledon. These
:49:47. > :49:54.two trying to defend the title that they won so famously last year.
:49:55. > :51:08.Once again, time for Gordon Reid to serve.
:51:09. > :51:18.Houdet whereas those golf gloves which he used to wear when he was a
:51:19. > :51:29.golfer. He was brilliant, the world number one in weird -- in wheelchair
:51:30. > :51:38.golf. He switched to tennis when he met Johan Cruyff. He switched sports
:51:39. > :51:48.but kept the gloves! And is now brilliant at this one. And also, the
:51:49. > :51:59.gloves stop his hands slipping on the push rims. He goes through quite
:52:00. > :52:23.a few pairs, too, actually! UMPIRE: Mr Reid is challenging the
:52:24. > :52:29.call, the ball was called in. UMPIRE: Game, Houdet and Peifer.
:52:30. > :52:43.NICK MULLINS: How well did Stephane Houdet control that game, to give
:52:44. > :52:50.the French a break I'm? Where are we with the sport in this country at
:52:51. > :52:53.the moment, Pete? I'm hearing that more disabled folk than ever are
:52:54. > :52:59.playing it up and down the country, around the clubs that have access
:53:00. > :53:04.for disabled player suggest it seems from the outside to being a decent
:53:05. > :53:08.state? Yeah, we do, we've got a really good position at the moment.
:53:09. > :53:14.We had our most successful Paralympics last year. And we won
:53:15. > :53:20.six medals just we've got chairs in tennis centres, the tennis
:53:21. > :53:23.foundation are doing a great amount of work. That's the charity who
:53:24. > :53:28.helped fund the sport in this country? Yeah, they control the
:53:29. > :53:34.performance side, but also they help. You can go to any tennis
:53:35. > :53:41.centre, essentially, and learn to play. If you're watching this at
:53:42. > :53:44.home, and think, I don't have one of those snazzy Chios, you don't have
:53:45. > :53:53.to because they may well have won at your local tennis centre. Absolutely
:53:54. > :54:01.right. -- snazzy chairs. The court is the same, the balls are the same.
:54:02. > :54:03.And here's the Frenchman, one of the best for years and years and years,
:54:04. > :54:37.serving for the first set. Super reverse backhand by Hewett
:54:38. > :55:08.there. Reverse backhand yet again by
:55:09. > :55:09.Hewett, that's rev in a row, too strong for Houdet to control,
:55:10. > :56:09.leaning out of his chair. And this first set goes on! Light
:56:10. > :56:16.drizzle here on Court No. 3 at Wimbledon. Yeah, quite difficult to
:56:17. > :56:22.play in the drizzle, to be honest, it makes the push rim slippery,
:56:23. > :56:55.there can be struggling pushing the chairs, if it continues.
:56:56. > :57:23.Clever play by Houdet there. Gordon Reid did a backhand and they saw it.
:57:24. > :57:33.It was outstanding chasing initially from Houdet, the hard work from Reid
:57:34. > :57:40.and the winner from Hewett. Yeah, he pushed really hard out on that soft
:57:41. > :57:42.grass, and Hewett saw that Houdet was out of position, split the
:57:43. > :58:08.French pair again. One of the cool things about this
:58:09. > :58:17.sport is where you can stuff the balls. And Hewett, one of those who
:58:18. > :58:27.uses the spokes to good effect. Yeah, but you have to be careful
:58:28. > :58:33.they don't come out of the spokes. The French just using that lusher
:58:34. > :58:40.green bit around the net to good effect. Yeah, it is a tactic. If the
:58:41. > :58:42.ball does come out, for the first time, it is a let come and after
:58:43. > :59:07.that...? It is a point away. Keeping the pressure on, aren't
:59:08. > :59:21.they? Yeah, trying to raise the temperature.
:59:22. > :59:37.There you go! Alfie Hewett has held serve. And the defending champions
:59:38. > :59:43.are game away from the first set. CLARE BALDING: I wanted to talk to a
:59:44. > :59:49.little chap here called Cameron. How old are you? Ten. And who is your
:59:50. > :59:52.favourite player? Alfie Hewett. And you have got his hair cut. Are you
:59:53. > :00:02.playing tennis yourself, and how often? I play about... And is this
:00:03. > :00:08.the level you want to be playing at one-day? Yeah. What does it mean to
:00:09. > :00:11.you to see a crowd this big at Wimbledon, watching your favourite
:00:12. > :00:17.player, Alfie Hewett, in the final, is this a really good day for you?
:00:18. > :00:22.Yeah. And who have you come with? My mum, my brother, my sister and my
:00:23. > :00:25.dad. Fantastic, we need to start chanting, don't we, because this is
:00:26. > :00:36.a very tight first set. What are you going to chant? Come on. Let's hope
:00:37. > :00:37.the boys can do it now. This rain is starting to come down pretty
:00:38. > :00:56.steadily, I have to say. At what point will the umpire
:00:57. > :01:00.decided to take them off? At what point is it unplayable? When the
:01:01. > :01:03.players start slipping and missing pushes. Obviously it is a lot
:01:04. > :01:41.earlier than standing up. I am joined by Peter Norfolk. Pistol
:01:42. > :01:46.Pete, as we call you. Thank you. They do make it look easy, don't
:01:47. > :01:57.they? I can assure you, it is hard work in those tears on grass.
:01:58. > :03:09.We need a tie-break in the third set in the final last year. We have got
:03:10. > :03:14.one in the first set this year. Arena is really starting to come
:03:15. > :03:21.down. Alfie Hewett looking towards the umpire, suggesting he might not
:03:22. > :03:26.be averse to stopping. They will want to finish the set, but this
:03:27. > :03:43.could affect how they are pushing. Alfie has decided that if he set up
:03:44. > :04:27.at the net there is less pushing. That is quite hard.
:04:28. > :04:39.We were threatened with one or two showers throughout the day.
:04:40. > :04:51.Houdet was using the rain to put side spin on the ball. Shot off the
:04:52. > :05:02.grass. He doesn't look entirely happy with life at the moment. The
:05:03. > :05:09.aluminium hand rims get very slippery. I am sure the officials
:05:10. > :05:11.will want to finish this set before the do anything. Still on serve in
:05:12. > :06:05.this first set tie-break. Intelligent play by Houdet. Saw
:06:06. > :06:19.Hewett going back towards the back fence.
:06:20. > :07:10.That is a doubles ploy. Hit the ball a lot more down the middle.
:07:11. > :07:18.Splitting the two players. Try to get and miscommunication. One is
:07:19. > :07:20.going one way and one is going the other. As soon as you give someone
:07:21. > :07:42.an angle, they have an angle back. It is still raining. Slightly more
:07:43. > :07:46.than spitting, you would see. I'm not sure that spitting is the phrase
:07:47. > :08:57.that Carol would use, but it will do for us.
:08:58. > :09:05.Good serve by Gordon Reid. They needed an nice serve down the middle
:09:06. > :09:43.T. There is the break back and we are
:09:44. > :09:51.back on serve. Low percentage, but so worth it. A little summit meeting
:09:52. > :10:26.for the French. Oh dear. Alfie is usually so secure
:10:27. > :10:36.overhead. He is in close to the net. That could be crucial. Probably
:10:37. > :10:46.should have been set point for the defending champions. Instead it is
:10:47. > :11:14.set point to last year's runners up. On the Hewett serve.
:11:15. > :11:22.Well, the British pair won the titles last year by winning over
:11:23. > :11:27.three sets. They're going to have to do it again if the are to defend
:11:28. > :11:40.their title. The French peer take the first set on a tie-break. 7-6.
:11:41. > :11:52.Talking about how the game has developed...
:11:53. > :12:08.It is so tense. Louise Hunt and myself are very close to the action.
:12:09. > :12:12.So little in it. A couple of unforced errors. And great
:12:13. > :12:17.performances on both sides. Steve Comer when the rain was heavy, what
:12:18. > :12:22.sort of difference does it make for them? The difference is more about
:12:23. > :12:32.your control than it is about ball control. The responsiveness of your
:12:33. > :12:37.chair is really put down. It spends through your hands a little bit.
:12:38. > :12:41.When you try to push, there will be some giving your hands. The two
:12:42. > :12:46.bounces is one thing, but if you simply can't get to the ball, it
:12:47. > :12:53.doesn't matter how many bounces you are allowed. Would Gordon and Alfie
:12:54. > :12:59.have any gloves for wet conditions? Or do you just not normally play
:13:00. > :13:05.when it is wet? If the rain gets any more, they won't be able to play.
:13:06. > :13:12.But it is a personal choice whether you wear gloves. Are they playing
:13:13. > :13:21.well enough to bring this back? Absolutely. No doubt in my mind.
:13:22. > :13:32.Fitness has come into it. They have had a long week already.
:13:33. > :13:43.The French and Wimbledon are a little bit slower. Start of the
:13:44. > :14:04.second set, Stephane Uday. -- Houdet.
:14:05. > :14:43.The rain is not as severe as it was, but is still in the air.
:14:44. > :14:51.It looks like it will be a solid first game of the second set for the
:14:52. > :16:00.French peer, which is not what the British peer would like.
:16:01. > :16:09.A good return of serve from Alfie Hewett. Lots of pressure from
:16:10. > :16:34.Houdet. Great shot by Alfie Hewett.
:16:35. > :18:35.Splitting the peer. That is one of the shots of the
:18:36. > :18:38.match. Still be reversed top-spin backhand out to the tramlines. See
:18:39. > :19:31.how high that kicks up. Good pushing by Gordon here. Right
:19:32. > :19:40.outside the court, outside the tramlines. Houdet just popped it too
:19:41. > :20:03.long. Now the longest game of the final.
:20:04. > :20:12.That is genius! The quality of the pick-up. To keep that rally alive
:20:13. > :20:19.and then what Alfie Hewett did to finish it. Fantastic pushing. The
:20:20. > :20:26.commitment to that. What a great shot. No wonder everyone is
:20:27. > :20:34.standing. Lovely drop shot. He just kept pushing. Flick it crosscourt.
:20:35. > :20:38.That is like Federer. That will give them something. They were looking a
:20:39. > :20:44.bit flat. That is exactly what we needed.
:20:45. > :21:06.So the defending champions have the break of serve at the start of the
:21:07. > :22:36.second set, asset they must win to keep this final live.
:22:37. > :22:47.Good shot by Nicolas Peifer. In that situation, you have to hit it to the
:22:48. > :23:04.guy at the back of the court, not at the front.
:23:05. > :23:11.Too strong. Gordon hit that straight at Nicolas Peifer. Couldn't control
:23:12. > :23:44.the volley. When long on the baseline.
:23:45. > :23:55.Starting to use a lush green patches. Alfie Sullock. He also saw
:23:56. > :23:59.that Houdet was not moving the Stationery. Can get off the mark
:24:00. > :24:29.quick enough on the grass. Nicolas Peifer using side spin to
:24:30. > :25:23.take it further out of the court. Well played. There is a challenge.
:25:24. > :25:53.The ball was called out to. He has come to the assistance of the
:25:54. > :25:57.French. Replay the point. There was some frustration on court 17 that
:25:58. > :26:01.they didn't have Hawk-Eye. Now we are seeing the other side of it. It
:26:02. > :26:21.is a learning process to use it. If the rain continues, I think they
:26:22. > :26:38.might pull them off court. Ladies and gentlemen, play is
:26:39. > :26:45.suspended. There we go. It has been threatening for the last 25 minutes.
:26:46. > :26:55.It is becoming harder and harder for players to manoeuvre themselves
:26:56. > :27:01.around the court. Not just the grip of the tyres, pumped to 150 psi, but
:27:02. > :27:07.also the grip of the hands to get them there in the first place. Yes,
:27:08. > :27:16.it is a hands on the metal hand rooms. If you miss a push, you won't
:27:17. > :27:22.get to the ball and it gets a bit dangerous. Skidding, not controlling
:27:23. > :27:32.the chair. Hopefully it is not for too long. What is your inkling at
:27:33. > :27:38.the moment? Interesting. It is about who is going to take the initiative.
:27:39. > :27:48.Both players seemed to fade in and out at the moment. There is no real
:27:49. > :27:57.pattern. One minute it is Nicolas Peifer not concentrating. I felt
:27:58. > :28:04.Gordon wasn't at one point. They need a period where each player is
:28:05. > :28:15.able to continue the momentum going. Look at that out there. Fillet of
:28:16. > :28:19.Wimbledon Park,., OK to sail around in, but it is not all right to play
:28:20. > :28:30.tennis, particularly in a wheelchair. The final of the women's
:28:31. > :28:40.wheelchair tennis will be delayed because of this. Diede De Groot and
:28:41. > :28:48.Sabine Ellerbrock will be on court later. Right now, the men's doubles
:28:49. > :28:58.final is on hold. The French won the first set on a tie-break.
:28:59. > :29:01.The crowd are giving some support. The information we have is this rain
:29:02. > :29:10.will last for about 15 minutes. Fingers crossed we will get this
:29:11. > :29:13.final back on court at some point this afternoon. They save 15
:29:14. > :29:19.minutes, but it is not looking great, that's the truth. What we
:29:20. > :29:25.have seen has been fantastic. So tight. Louise, how important for
:29:26. > :29:29.Gordon and Alfie to get that early break and set in this second set?
:29:30. > :29:34.Obviously Alfie is under pressure on his serve, but there was lots to
:29:35. > :29:38.play for? Absolutely. Good start to the second serve. It might help them
:29:39. > :29:43.and give them more time to regroup. I think Alfie will be fine. Look
:29:44. > :29:48.forward to them getting back out on court soon. Steve spoke of the
:29:49. > :29:53.difficulty of pushing when it is wet on the outer rim of the wheel, but
:29:54. > :29:58.also the ball is picking up moisture and the grass is lush. The ball is
:29:59. > :30:05.dying. There has been some great pushing from Alfie. You think the
:30:06. > :30:10.point is over, and next thing you know the hitting winners. With the
:30:11. > :30:21.extra weight of the ball, those second bounces make it very
:30:22. > :30:29.difficult. We spoke about the grass. You have come back from winning on
:30:30. > :30:36.clay. It makes a huge difference. In a way, clay can almost be more
:30:37. > :30:44.reactionary. They can bounce off the lines in all sorts of weird and
:30:45. > :30:50.wonderful directions. How impressed and excited are you? I spoke to that
:30:51. > :30:56.ten-year-old boy Cameron earlier. He told me he is playing three times a
:30:57. > :31:00.week. This final is live on BBC Two. And added sort of glow of the
:31:01. > :31:01.inspirational side of it, getting their kids to know they can play
:31:02. > :31:12.tennis? Yes, and what is wonderful is, how
:31:13. > :31:14.many people are here. I hope that everybody at home is watching this,
:31:15. > :31:18.no matter what your disability is going to there is a way to play
:31:19. > :31:23.tennis. Whether it is purely for enjoyment, or you want to make it to
:31:24. > :31:27.the top. These guys on court today are showing you what level you can
:31:28. > :31:31.get to. We want to give you the opportunity to see as much tennis as
:31:32. > :31:35.you can, so while we wait for the rain to pass, let's have a look at
:31:36. > :31:38.the semifinal from yesterday which got Jordan Reed and Alfie Hewett is
:31:39. > :32:22.to this point. We'll pick it up in the third set.
:32:23. > :32:41.That was a bit of a mistake by Fernandez, hitting it back to
:32:42. > :32:48.Hewett, he didn't give his partner a chance to move, really. And there is
:32:49. > :33:41.the break, and Britons move ahead in this decisive third set.
:33:42. > :34:04.That's Gordon Reid's girlfriend, Marina.
:34:05. > :34:19.So, the last vestiges of sunshine on court. On this second Friday of the
:34:20. > :34:21.Championships. Reid and Hewett, their nose is now in front in this
:34:22. > :34:44.third set. It's been a routine that's worked
:34:45. > :34:52.well, the idea of having Hewett buzzing around at the net, on the
:34:53. > :35:02.Reid serve. Not so much when Fernandez is returning, however.
:35:03. > :35:28.Yes, it's a really good Zen. -- really good tactic.
:35:29. > :35:59.This will be testing the fitness of Shingo Kunieda's injured elbow.
:36:00. > :36:27.Great recovery there, kept them in that point.
:36:28. > :36:46.Every point now being treated for what it is, because every point
:36:47. > :37:09.takes defending champions a step does to Sundays final.
:37:10. > :37:48.PETER NORFOLK: Hit the chair, lose the point. If the ball hits the
:37:49. > :38:12.chair before it bounces, you lose the point.
:38:13. > :38:32.To see it is one thing, to have the touch to do it is another. Also,
:38:33. > :38:39.it's harder to push, the ball doesn't bounce up so much. Although
:38:40. > :39:06.you've got two bounces, still not quick enough.
:39:07. > :40:39.A point four double break in this third set.
:40:40. > :40:45.Yes, there's just no defending that. The number of points that he's won
:40:46. > :40:53.with that big howitzer down the middle. There he is, moving forward,
:40:54. > :41:07.using the chair, his hips, his shoulders, everything!
:41:08. > :41:50.Great shot, what a return of serve. Hewett decided to attack, look where
:41:51. > :41:53.he's sitting, right over the baseline, didn't give Shingo Kunieda
:41:54. > :42:11.a chance to move away from his serve position.
:42:12. > :42:23.Nearly there, boys! A double break, and they're within a game of getting
:42:24. > :42:42.back to a Wimbledon final. Just the feel of this semifinal, the
:42:43. > :42:49.tone of it, has changed in the last 15 minutes? Yes, it's been quite
:42:50. > :42:58.tense, and you can see that it means a lot to all of these players, but
:42:59. > :43:06.not necessarily nervy, but mistakes are being made. It's about who can
:43:07. > :43:10.grasp the next game by the scruff of the neck, and at the moment, it's
:43:11. > :43:17.Alfie Hewett who seems to be playing the big points well. Gordon is
:43:18. > :43:27.playing steady Eddie. Chance to serve it out.
:43:28. > :43:39.Opportunity to right again all the stories of last summer to IF they
:43:40. > :43:42.can get into the final once more. IF Alfie Hewett can hold on to his next
:43:43. > :43:50.service game. Sound head on his shoulders for a
:43:51. > :44:34.19-year-old lad. Shaking his head, he didn't really
:44:35. > :44:38.mean to do that. As soon as Fernandez had hit that, he was
:44:39. > :44:40.racing into the net, because he realised there was going to be a
:44:41. > :45:08.drop shot coming. Lovely controlled forehand by Gordon
:45:09. > :45:18.Reid, into the tram lines. Look at that.
:45:19. > :45:40.They are at it again! Reid and Hewett, the best of British on
:45:41. > :45:54.wheels, rolling into another Wimbledon final. Great way of
:45:55. > :46:01.finishing. And how well did they play in that second set. They took
:46:02. > :46:05.control of it, in the last 20 or 25 minutes, dominating. Once again, in
:46:06. > :46:12.tandem together, the chance to become a Wimbledon champions for the
:46:13. > :46:16.second summer running. That was Gordon and Alfie in action
:46:17. > :46:18.yesterday. We had to bring you that because of the rain stopping play.
:46:19. > :46:33.No play before 1:15pm and win No-one... ..tells us...
:46:34. > :46:35...what to choose.