:00:25. > :00:43.My dad is perfect! -- that is perfect. Wimbledon champion again!
:00:44. > :00:51.It is a much brighter afternoon and we are all set to go again with this
:00:52. > :00:56.wheelchair men's doubles final, three hours after the rain drove
:00:57. > :01:03.them off cod three on the other side of Court One. We are ready to resume
:01:04. > :01:07.again. The contest between the French top seeds, the favourites and
:01:08. > :01:14.the British defending champions. The French Stephane Houdet and Nicholas
:01:15. > :01:23.Peifer and Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett. And when the rains came, it
:01:24. > :01:28.was the Britons who were fighting their way back into this final,
:01:29. > :01:33.having lost the first set on a tie-break, 7-6, right at the start
:01:34. > :01:40.of the second set, they have taken an early lead, breaking the server
:01:41. > :01:44.of the French. The 25-year-old left hand from Glasgow there. The men's
:01:45. > :01:50.singles champion here last year, he won the doubles as well with Alfie
:01:51. > :02:01.Hewett. They do not lack support. They are in a right old battle
:02:02. > :02:08.today, against Houdet and Peifer. Enjoying wheelchair tennis again at
:02:09. > :02:14.Wimbledon is one of our best ever wheelchair tennis players, who won
:02:15. > :02:20.ten Grand Slam titles. He got ten Paralympic medals as well. This has
:02:21. > :02:26.been a very good contest so far. Good afternoon. It is poised to be
:02:27. > :02:34.really exciting. Anglo-French contest again. I don't know if any
:02:35. > :02:38.of you remember from the Olympics last year, this was one of the
:02:39. > :02:43.defining matches, these players played out, and the British player
:02:44. > :02:49.unfortunately took silver and the French took gold and I watched that
:02:50. > :02:54.and it was so thrilling. I have got a feeling, this is gearing up for
:02:55. > :02:59.that as well. It is also a repeat of the final last year, that went to
:03:00. > :03:32.three sets. We will see. Here is Alfie Hewett.
:03:33. > :03:38.It is about how quickly every player can get started. When they look at
:03:39. > :03:44.this as a new match or a continuation of one? A new view, a
:03:45. > :04:16.new vision. Brilliant recovery. From Gordon
:04:17. > :04:22.Reid. His singles fight ended on Thursday. He is working so hard to
:04:23. > :04:24.hold on to his doubles crown. The British player will be pleased about
:04:25. > :04:40.that miss by Houdet. The Norfolk teenager there, he is
:04:41. > :05:00.from Great Yarmouth. That is a really significant hold,
:05:01. > :05:13.coming back out after the rain delayed at dues. -- deuce. I was
:05:14. > :05:19.thinking which players would come out stronger. Gordon just came out
:05:20. > :05:34.there, walloped a high forehand out wide. 2-0 up, second set. Just long.
:05:35. > :05:40.Had a look to the umpire who is Brazilian. They do have Hawk-Eye on
:05:41. > :05:41.Court number three. They have decided that was not worth
:05:42. > :06:11.challenging. Wonderful touch. He will have to do
:06:12. > :06:16.a bit more of that, I think. That is the kind of form that won him
:06:17. > :06:27.there's singles title here last summer and won him Olympic gold in
:06:28. > :06:32.Rio. I think you will try and see Gordon and Alfie try and mix it up a
:06:33. > :06:35.bit more, come closer to the net. Rather than both staying back.
:06:36. > :07:22.Houdet is doing that now. Break point against the serve of
:07:23. > :07:23.Nicholas Peifer. The 26-year-old who lives just outside Paris,
:07:24. > :07:42.Versailles. That is a rather tame way to tackle
:07:43. > :07:51.the second break, but it has been a wonderful start. A wonderful start.
:07:52. > :08:01.Post resumption for Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid. You're aware, Peter,
:08:02. > :08:04.that lots of people now, enjoying wheelchair doubles for the first
:08:05. > :08:09.time this afternoon, bring us up to speed with the rules and
:08:10. > :08:14.regulations, pretty much what you see in the able-bodied game. The
:08:15. > :08:18.rules are the same, you are allowed the second bounce, the first round
:08:19. > :08:23.must be in the confines of the Court and the second can be anywhere. In
:08:24. > :08:28.doubles, that means they can use the whole court and you can see them
:08:29. > :08:32.even going into the canvas on the sides, the roof etc. If the ball
:08:33. > :08:37.hits the chair before bouncing then you lose the point, if you get the
:08:38. > :08:44.ball in the wheels, you must not fall out. If you do it, it is a let
:08:45. > :08:52.and if you keep doing it, you lose a point. Wheelchair tennis is the same
:08:53. > :08:58.as tennis, tennis is tennis. And here are two of the best that this
:08:59. > :09:06.version of the sport has had to offer, Nicholas Peifer and Stephane
:09:07. > :09:13.Houdet. A Frenchman took the title that day at Roland Garros, on clay.
:09:14. > :09:15.This time, we are on grass. The British duo working hard to take us
:09:16. > :09:42.into a third deciding set, 3-0. Fantastic. Great reaction by Alfie
:09:43. > :09:46.Hewett there. Peifer took that out of the sky. Straight into the
:09:47. > :09:48.netting zone and Alfie Hewett, backhand, reversed down the line for
:09:49. > :09:59.the winner. Judged that perfectly. Lovely
:10:00. > :10:36.languid forehand there. Won the Paralympic title by beating
:10:37. > :10:50.the bloke who he is playing with today. Alfie Hewett took the silver
:10:51. > :10:53.and Gordon Reid took the gold. And right now, Houdet and Peifer have
:10:54. > :11:05.not got going since the rain delay. They are looking a bit sluggish. The
:11:06. > :11:13.British players were a set down and they had to come out firing. We
:11:14. > :11:15.could go to the third set, but you can never write off the French,
:11:16. > :11:33.especially Houdet. Stephane Houdet, 46 now. Continuing
:11:34. > :11:37.to play at such an incredible level, he is really one of the old soldiers
:11:38. > :11:45.of the sport, it is a former world number one. He is just behind the
:11:46. > :11:56.current world number one, Gustavo Fernandez.
:11:57. > :12:11.It is good if your partner is hitting a deep shot and one of the
:12:12. > :12:18.tactics is to follow him in and get close to the net. Again, another
:12:19. > :12:23.good shot by Hewett, he is been the aggressor at the moment. -- he is
:12:24. > :12:42.being the aggressor. That is a good drop shot. On that
:12:43. > :12:54.green grass, the ball guys, well controlled forehand drop shot. ?1,
:12:55. > :12:57.two bounce and then it dies. -- ?1. They got the cover song quickly when
:12:58. > :13:06.it started to rain around half past 12. Heavy conditions this morning.
:13:07. > :13:12.They will not be playing any quicker now, those lush green patches are
:13:13. > :13:17.big targets for the drop shot. This, for the Britons, is an opportunity
:13:18. > :13:19.to go 5-0 up and surely be on the verge of taking this into a third
:13:20. > :13:37.deciding set. Good try by Gordon. He saw Peifer
:13:38. > :13:42.rolling in and coming up to the service line and thought he would do
:13:43. > :13:44.a high lob over the top and he would have had an open court for him to
:13:45. > :14:08.come back. He has been one of the great flag
:14:09. > :14:13.flyers for this board for so long, before that he was a flag flyer for
:14:14. > :14:20.golf and he has never given up the trick of wearing gloves when he
:14:21. > :14:24.plays sport. Actually a world number one golfer, he is multitalented,
:14:25. > :14:29.Stephane Houdet. It will have helped him, when the rain came, but gloves,
:14:30. > :14:56.giving him a bit more grip on the tyres.
:14:57. > :15:08.O, they are making a mock up of it. Look at the Houdet. What are you
:15:09. > :15:36.doing? A great get by Gordon, but look. Not a lot of sympathy.
:15:37. > :15:54.Stephane Houdet is a qualified vet in Paris.
:15:55. > :15:59.He was giving Peifer are talking to as well. Trying to get his head up,
:16:00. > :16:11.trying to get him to concentrate. It was a good return but Peifer sat
:16:12. > :17:00.still on the baseline. It was a feature of this final
:17:01. > :17:04.before the rain came. They were just a little bit more imaginative in
:17:05. > :17:32.their court positions. They are gambling at the net a bit more.
:17:33. > :17:39.You are right. And Alfie is pushing in and putting pressure on Peifer.
:17:40. > :17:57.Peifer is making the errors. Just to dispel my theory he goes and
:17:58. > :18:10.does a superb backhand crosscourt down the sideline! Hugely talented
:18:11. > :18:40.these players. This is the longest game of the match.
:18:41. > :18:49.You can see Hewett was moving his chair all the time on the return of
:18:50. > :18:52.serve. But to no avail, Houdet did a wonderful serve. It is not the pace,
:18:53. > :19:35.it is the placement. That was a great smash. Hewett
:19:36. > :19:41.missed three of those in the first set. I am a bit confused as to why
:19:42. > :19:46.two French blokes are talking to each other in English on the court.
:19:47. > :19:59.But there was no confusion about that smash from Alfie Hewett.
:20:00. > :20:04.They have not had a challenge yet. They are enjoying using Hawk-Eye for
:20:05. > :20:35.the first time. They are on the board for the first
:20:36. > :21:02.time in this second set. It is wonderful that the sport is
:21:03. > :21:08.getting this exposure, Peter. You were one of those who in the early
:21:09. > :21:14.days went to Athens and Beijing when the BBC covered this life. You were
:21:15. > :21:19.setting the pace down. But the game and the sport has moved on. At the
:21:20. > :21:23.moment these four are at the forefront and from a British
:21:24. > :21:29.perspective and an's prospective Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are
:21:30. > :21:36.doing great. Yes, they are fantastic ambassadors. They are pushing the
:21:37. > :21:44.boundaries of tennis as well. It is fantastic to be on the BBC and to be
:21:45. > :21:47.at Wimbledon. We never expected that two decades ago. The technology has
:21:48. > :21:55.moved on as well with the chairs and the rackets. It is great to see.
:21:56. > :22:04.What are the chairs made out of? Most of them are detaining,
:22:05. > :22:09.extremely light. Bespoke products. You do not have to have a canister
:22:10. > :22:15.to play tennis, but it does help. This is Alfie Hewett. Serving at 4-1
:22:16. > :22:58.in the second set. How well did he play? He is having a
:22:59. > :23:01.wonderful month or so. He made a bit of wheelchair tennis history in
:23:02. > :23:08.Paris last month when he became the first Briton to win the French Open
:23:09. > :23:17.singles, beating Gustavo Fernandez in the final at Roland Garros, the
:23:18. > :23:28.world number one. They also make him IPC athlete of the month. He has had
:23:29. > :23:30.a great quarter here. You can see it in his play, he is feeling
:23:31. > :23:52.confident, happy and fit. They started to play for the first
:23:53. > :23:57.time in 2007. It was the first time Wimbledon invited wheelchair
:23:58. > :23:59.players. They had been playing at the other Grand Slams on the hard
:24:00. > :24:38.courts for a while. It has got to be a timely challenge,
:24:39. > :24:38.that is the phrase. For the Brazilian referee that was not
:24:39. > :24:49.timely. In the mind of Stephane Houdet it
:24:50. > :25:18.was timely, but on we go. Alfie Hewett has come out inspired
:25:19. > :25:33.since the rain delay. The young man from Norwich. He is guiding this
:25:34. > :25:37.British duo towards the third set. That is how you do a reverse
:25:38. > :26:07.backhand top-spin across court in wheelchair tennis.
:26:08. > :26:14.Went as high as number two, the Frenchman in the world. This is at
:26:15. > :26:32.number five. The sport is being played at its
:26:33. > :27:59.best at the moment at the best tournament in the world.
:28:00. > :28:08.He is playing the tennis of his championships right now. The great
:28:09. > :28:09.forehand return. Peifer had not moved from service position when the
:28:10. > :28:25.ball went past him. Oh, it had to be. He was almost
:28:26. > :28:32.sitting in the front row. That was outstanding. A flick of the wrist at
:28:33. > :28:43.the end. Wow. That is the talent. There we go, some brilliance from
:28:44. > :29:32.the Frenchman. Houdet on the left, Peifer on the
:29:33. > :29:37.right. Houdet took to disability golf Festival after he had a crash
:29:38. > :29:42.on his motorbike. He was a really good able-bodied junior tennis
:29:43. > :29:52.player before the crash, became one of the more decorated tennis
:29:53. > :29:56.players. He switched to tennis after meeting Johan Cruyff, his foundation
:29:57. > :30:06.was a big supporter of wheelchair tennis. You'll find Johan Cruyff
:30:07. > :30:11.doing juniors and competitions each year, all about the new blood,
:30:12. > :30:17.bringing youngsters into the sport. The foundation is still hugely
:30:18. > :30:24.virtual. -- hugely influential. That's where some of these players
:30:25. > :30:33.have come from. The tennis foundation is doing good work as
:30:34. > :30:40.well. There are working to get products into centres. British
:30:41. > :31:08.wheelchair tennis is being driven in the right direction.
:31:09. > :31:50.Gordon Reid looking to serve out the second set.
:31:51. > :32:00.Gordon overrun that, he span round. And he span straight into the balls
:32:01. > :32:01.so he couldn't really hit a very good shot. Houdet just came in and
:32:02. > :32:08.hit it away for a winner. Looks like they're going to get
:32:09. > :32:28.broken again, the British pair. Yes, the Britons who had led 5-1,
:32:29. > :32:32.still lead 5-3. They still have the break of serve. It's getting just a
:32:33. > :32:38.little tighter than they would have expected. That's when it's going to
:32:39. > :32:43.be problems, especially for the British, because they need this
:32:44. > :32:46.second set to go to a third and deciding set. Once more, Stephane
:32:47. > :33:37.Houdet. There's been a change of momentum in
:33:38. > :33:38.this second set. I think they got to 5-1 and a relaxed, took an effort
:33:39. > :34:46.off the pedal. Hopefully that will galvanise them
:34:47. > :34:48.into being a bit more positive. They got to keep the chairs moving. Keep
:34:49. > :35:16.positive. The French roll to their bags and
:35:17. > :35:20.the water and the towels having won the last three games and just giving
:35:21. > :35:29.Hewett and Reid a little bit to chew on here. And it will be a test of
:35:30. > :35:34.Alfie Hewett's new-found confidence, he's been working really hard, we
:35:35. > :35:39.know, over the last few years, on the nerves. He'll happily admit that
:35:40. > :35:43.on big occasions like this previously, he is still a teenager,
:35:44. > :35:47.still only young, but the nerves would sometimes get the better of
:35:48. > :35:52.him. He's got to, all of the work he's done over the next few minutes,
:35:53. > :36:01.he's got to use that work he did with the sports psychologist. We've
:36:02. > :36:04.been encouraging our juniors to go to big tournaments like the
:36:05. > :36:09.Paralympics to taste and feel what the atmosphere and pressure is like.
:36:10. > :36:15.He's been here before, he's played one Wimbledon, played the
:36:16. > :36:22.Paralympics, one the silver medal there, just won his first Grand Slam
:36:23. > :36:26.in France. He's getting used to this pressure. They're going to come out
:36:27. > :36:32.and serve for the second set. The pressure is well and truly starting
:36:33. > :36:38.to build. Right then, healthy, what have you got? -- Alfie? Serve this
:36:39. > :37:16.and you will be in a third set. They were racking up the pace in
:37:17. > :37:17.there and Alfie hit back to Peifer's line and gave him more as an angle
:37:18. > :37:36.to hit out of the trams. Great shot by Gordon Reid. Houdet at
:37:37. > :38:06.full strength didn't get to that. Right into the bottom corner.
:38:07. > :38:11.Never a good time to do a double fault. Only the second in the final.
:38:12. > :38:43.They'll get away with it. Maybe. Made up for his double-faulted with
:38:44. > :39:09.a lovely backhand winner. That's what we used to call a daisy
:39:10. > :39:45.cutter. Having led 5-1, it could be 5-5 very shortly.
:39:46. > :39:52.That's brave, isn't it? A break point down.
:39:53. > :40:38.That forehand, through his whole body weight into that.
:40:39. > :40:48.That's cool and collected. Great fishing there. -- great pushing.
:40:49. > :41:19.Bearing down the line. Tried his flashing backhand again,
:41:20. > :41:25.didn't quite come off. The first half of this final, it's very often
:41:26. > :41:31.that he is the barometer of the team, Alfie Hewett. There's a level
:41:32. > :41:35.of consistency that we'd played at but Hewett can fluctuate, he's
:41:36. > :41:36.playing like the player that was winning all those points once they
:41:37. > :41:50.resumed half hour ago. You're right, and I think when
:41:51. > :41:57.Hewett is aggressive and pushing and doing his flashing backhand is, Reid
:41:58. > :42:13.places nice, level game, they start winning a string of points in a row.
:42:14. > :42:17.This is starting to reach critical proportions from a British
:42:18. > :42:20.perspective but well done to the French, they've charged their way
:42:21. > :42:28.back into the spinal. They were 5-1 down a few -- into this final. They
:42:29. > :42:33.were 5-1 down a few units ago and it seemed inevitable that there would
:42:34. > :42:56.be a third set but it could still end here.
:42:57. > :43:04.I love that shot. First bounce off the serve, move in. Wheeling right
:43:05. > :43:25.over the baseline. Lean into the shot, which it away for a winner.
:43:26. > :43:53.Houdet almost saw its trickling over. Didn't quite do it.
:43:54. > :44:00.The damage was done when Hewett to Reid time to look where the gap was,
:44:01. > :44:43.to maximise the damage. Having forced their way back in,
:44:44. > :44:47.they suddenly drop their serve. You wonder just how good Alfie Hewett
:44:48. > :44:52.could be if he is playing at the levels he is playing at the moment
:44:53. > :44:58.as an 19-year-old. He has got so much more developing to do, so much
:44:59. > :45:11.more to achieve. Yes, he has got a long way to go. The only problem is
:45:12. > :45:17.you can get injuries. The boundaries have been pushed, but you have to
:45:18. > :45:23.look after your body as well. He had an elbow injury and he is making his
:45:24. > :45:28.way back from that. You do recover when you are younger, but to give
:45:29. > :45:33.yourself longevity, you have to look after yourself. Also his tournament
:45:34. > :45:37.planning has to be spot on. These are all full-time professionals now.
:45:38. > :45:46.Absolutely, they go around the circuit. There are many tournaments
:45:47. > :46:00.around the world. There is big prize money. Quite a bit of value on a
:46:01. > :46:02.Wimbledon title. Gordon Reid has got a couple of them. He is about to
:46:03. > :46:21.serve. It is the bigwigs.
:46:22. > :47:44.CHEERING It is on the line. Arms down from
:47:45. > :47:53.the baseline died. Peifer left that thinking Houdet was covering him.
:47:54. > :48:02.As high as the quality of the tennis has been, the quality of the
:48:03. > :48:13.challenging has been ropey. You need more practice, boys.
:48:14. > :49:07.REFEREE: Game and second set. They won the title in the third set last
:49:08. > :49:15.summer. They are into a third set here this summer. They are refusing
:49:16. > :49:23.to give up their Wimbledon title. Hewett and Reid have taken us to a
:49:24. > :49:28.decider. They are smiling actually. Just thinking they needed that. They
:49:29. > :49:34.will settle a bit more now. That made them feel a bit more
:49:35. > :49:40.comfortable. Of all the points, which ones catch your eyes. The ones
:49:41. > :49:42.in yellow are the good points. First serves in, the best are from the
:49:43. > :50:00.Britons. They are playing a bit more solid
:50:01. > :50:06.and they will feel a bit more comfortable on the grass now. Alfie
:50:07. > :50:12.has been coming in and switching that play on serve. As one is
:50:13. > :50:14.serving, the other one comes in. The opponents have got to look for the
:50:15. > :50:28.gap. It means a lot. He is so animated.
:50:29. > :50:34.Gordon Reid meantime in the background has the look of a man who
:50:35. > :50:47.knows there is still a lot of work to do to retain the title. He likes
:50:48. > :50:52.Alfie getting excited. He pushes him along on court. Centre Court were to
:50:53. > :51:06.mean Muguruza has just become the women's champion.
:51:07. > :51:43.Getting the third set under way with new balls.
:51:44. > :52:11.There have been one or two of those over the course of the day that he
:52:12. > :52:18.would take back if he could. Houdet hit it from the top of the racket.
:52:19. > :52:24.Not as secure in the overheads as he normally is.
:52:25. > :52:52.All their friends and family are in town. Those who were not friends
:52:53. > :52:58.before today will be very quick to become friends. That is what it is
:52:59. > :53:01.about. Come and watch some wheelchair tennis and get a
:53:02. > :53:10.masterclass in doubles from the top players. Being Wimbledon champion is
:53:11. > :53:18.not something you get to do every day of your life.
:53:19. > :53:24.They will be the first pair if they could ever retain their title. Alfie
:53:25. > :53:49.Hewett. Got to keep the chair moving. Alfie
:53:50. > :55:01.Hewett was a bit guilty just sitting there. He blocked his view.
:55:02. > :55:16.Good change of direction by Hewett. A lovely backhand down the line.
:55:17. > :55:33.It is a cool day in South West London today. Nowhere near the heat
:55:34. > :55:37.we had in the first week. There is Stuart Wilkinson and Karen Ross from
:55:38. > :55:53.the tennis foundation. Nowhere near as hot as the first
:55:54. > :55:58.week. We have had that three hour rain break.
:55:59. > :56:08.A final being played in two pass. The first part was definitely shaded
:56:09. > :56:13.in French colours. Houdet and Peifer won the first set. Since the
:56:14. > :56:23.resumption it has been the other way. That was a super serve. He has
:56:24. > :56:25.got much more reach and look over the net and it gives him much more
:56:26. > :57:15.angles to serve it to. Interesting to see one or two
:57:16. > :57:20.interruptions over the last few minutes because of people in the
:57:21. > :57:26.crowd moving around, late to take their seats. It is fascinating to
:57:27. > :57:30.see how the tournament they will have in Milan goes in November which
:57:31. > :57:35.will be played and experimental rules. One of the rules off the
:57:36. > :57:41.court is people can come and go whenever they want. They do not have
:57:42. > :57:48.to wait for the change of ends. If they want to get a hot dog and 0-40,
:57:49. > :57:53.they can get a hot dog. Relax the game a bit, make it a bit more
:57:54. > :58:01.user-friendly. In Rio last year Johnny Vegas walked onto Lucy
:58:02. > :58:05.Shuker's court and sat there for about 15 minutes and no one said
:58:06. > :58:10.anything. The best view of the court. How much were you distracted
:58:11. > :58:22.by movement when you were in the crowd when you were playing? With
:58:23. > :58:31.lots of noise and with lots of people, some people are very close
:58:32. > :58:34.to you on court. When you are not completely focused you start looking
:58:35. > :58:37.and seeing and hearing everything. Then it gets difficult. When you are
:58:38. > :58:58.a it does not matter. There could be on court coaching by
:58:59. > :58:59.headsets, no let's. No advantages, you just play a deciding point to
:59:00. > :59:14.deuce. Meantime, back to the job in hand.
:59:15. > :59:25.The men's wheelchair doubles final between the French pair, Stephane
:59:26. > :59:29.Houdet and Nicolas Peifer, and the British pair, Alfie Hewett and
:59:30. > :59:35.Gordon Reid. The history between these two pairs, it's a lengthy
:59:36. > :59:38.history, it does not favour Hewett and Reid. This is the tenth occasion
:59:39. > :59:44.they've met and they've only won twice. One of those twice was here
:59:45. > :59:52.last year so it was a big one. But the bulk of the numbers asked -- are
:59:53. > :59:56.stacked for the French. That was also when Alfie was growing into his
:59:57. > :00:01.new-found status as he was coming up into the world rankings from the
:00:02. > :00:09.juniors. He could probably take off of those away.
:00:10. > :00:15.It reminded me, going back to coaching, our world team cup, like
:00:16. > :00:27.the Davis Cup, we have coaches on court and one of the think they say
:00:28. > :00:28.is wouldn't it be more interesting if they were able to change tactics
:00:29. > :00:59.in the singles? Great tennis, he's got it back! Oh,
:01:00. > :01:07.a disappointing end to what was the point of the match so far. The work
:01:08. > :01:09.Reid did! Look at this. Get that back, he's right on the back fence.
:01:10. > :01:15.Great pushing. However, the net result is break
:01:16. > :02:08.point. They have won the game of patients.
:02:09. > :02:09.I was just thinking, which one, because they started getting a bit
:02:10. > :02:17.tentative. Houdet tried a big forehand and it
:02:18. > :02:58.didn't come off. Quite a big game, this. Hewett and
:02:59. > :03:10.Reid it need to take advantage of this point.
:03:11. > :03:30.Well played. Saw off a break point. Won the game point.
:03:31. > :03:41.We remain on serve. If you're just joining us, it's the men's
:03:42. > :03:42.wheelchair doubles final at Wimbledon, we were interrupted by
:03:43. > :04:21.rain for three hours. This is Gordon and Alfie's chance, I
:04:22. > :04:28.think. They know that Peifer can be new -- he can be changeable and he
:04:29. > :05:09.can make mistakes. Well, how significant might that be?
:05:10. > :05:23.They've got the break of serve in this deciding set.
:05:24. > :05:31.Their respective armies are in full cry. Maybe lots of people watching
:05:32. > :05:34.this back home, maybe in their chairs, thinking, I quite fancy a
:05:35. > :05:40.bit of wheelchair tennis, what do they do, where do they go, how easy
:05:41. > :05:44.is it to take up the sport? Really easy, just go down your local tennis
:05:45. > :05:47.Centre. There are hubs as well, you can get hold of the tennis
:05:48. > :05:56.foundation, they've got a big website. There's lots of chairs in
:05:57. > :06:04.centres and coaches. You can just get started. It's exciting, the
:06:05. > :06:11.crowd! That's how I got started, I went down to my local tennis Centre
:06:12. > :06:12.and said, I want to play tennis. There are so many more opportunities
:06:13. > :06:26.now. You don't have to have one of these
:06:27. > :06:32.nifty chairs, you can use -- leave your day chair at the side of the
:06:33. > :06:34.court and these chairs are available for you, so if you fancy it, you
:06:35. > :07:00.know what to do. That was in, surely? The one called
:07:01. > :07:08.it. That's a very good challenge, is it? Its way in.
:07:09. > :07:18.Going to have to do some training on that. The quality of the challenging
:07:19. > :07:24.has fallen some distance short of the quality of the tennis. To be
:07:25. > :07:27.fair, we don't have a Hawk-Eye in most of the other tournaments so
:07:28. > :07:50.they're getting used to it. I think you're being very kind!
:07:51. > :07:56.These are the moments for which Alfie Hewett has worked so hard, for
:07:57. > :08:01.the sports psychologist to help him, to calm the nerves, he's been in big
:08:02. > :08:05.situations like this before. French Open champion a month ago on the
:08:06. > :08:51.close at Roland Garros, fully focused.
:08:52. > :09:01.Quite a big period of the match, this. The middle of the third set. I
:09:02. > :09:06.think Alfie and Gordon can get on top of the French pair, they have a
:09:07. > :09:25.good chance. I almost said good serve.
:09:26. > :10:14.Starting to wonder if we're going to do this again, if we're going to win
:10:15. > :10:19.it together again. That was a big game. If you look at the French,
:10:20. > :11:16.they fade in and out. The British duo can keep the pressure on.
:11:17. > :13:19.Alfie wasn't taking any chances on his overheads this time.
:13:20. > :13:27.Wow, that's what you can do playing tennis on wheels. Longest rally in
:13:28. > :13:32.the match, 33 shots. Look at this daisy cutter. Skimming the top of
:13:33. > :13:38.the net. The ball didn't come up off the grass, that's why he couldn't
:13:39. > :13:52.really get under it. Full court play, full credit to them.
:13:53. > :13:57.That's is strong mentally from Stephane Houdet as much as anything,
:13:58. > :14:03.holding onto his service game. It's heating up a bit, isn't it? This is
:14:04. > :14:11.where we are, out on Court number three, up the hill. On Court 17, for
:14:12. > :14:17.the quarterfinals and the semifinals. They've moved to one of
:14:18. > :14:22.the grand show courts near the millennium building. It holds a
:14:23. > :14:28.couple of thousand. It was full first thing this morning before the
:14:29. > :14:32.rain came and the finals began on number one and centre. Very healthy
:14:33. > :14:41.population still, largely by folk who are not entirely neutral!
:14:42. > :14:52.Mums and dads, aunties, uncles, brothers and sisters, and coaches.
:14:53. > :15:02.They are all trying to stay calm from a British perspective for now
:15:03. > :15:06.because Hewett and Reid have the break of serve. More people are
:15:07. > :15:17.coming into the stadium to get a view of wheelchair tennis at its
:15:18. > :15:31.best. Potentially two games away. It is a big game to hold for Reid.
:15:32. > :15:36.You can see they are positive. Hewett is trying to upset the rhythm
:15:37. > :15:57.by coming in and out. Gordon Reid lost the use of his legs
:15:58. > :16:00.just before his 30th birthday. He had a disease that affects the
:16:01. > :16:13.spinal-cord and he was paralysed for six months.
:16:14. > :16:20.Once he regained some movement he began to play the sport initially
:16:21. > :16:23.just to keep fit. Then they realised he was pretty good at it and now he
:16:24. > :16:44.is winning Wimbledon titles. You can see the French heads going
:16:45. > :16:46.down a little bit. It is not going their way. It is going the British
:16:47. > :17:17.way. That is exceptional from Peifer.
:17:18. > :17:54.Strong wrists. Oh, missed it. Confusion in the
:17:55. > :18:07.French camp, that is why. They are nearly there.
:18:08. > :18:11.Houdet and Peifer have worked so hard and played so well to make this
:18:12. > :18:32.final a spectacle. I think we will see Hewett and Reid
:18:33. > :18:54.pressing a bit more to elicit some mistakes from the French.
:18:55. > :19:03.The French pair have been together now for over 100 matches, ten years.
:19:04. > :19:11.They are not giving up yet. Not by a long chalk. Not when you have
:19:12. > :19:15.someone of the ability of Stephane Houdet flying around the net. They
:19:16. > :19:17.will push this pair to serve it out because they can put pressure on the
:19:18. > :19:41.serve. They will need at least one more
:19:42. > :19:46.game before we work out who the Wimbledon champions will be. Where
:19:47. > :19:51.were you the most nervous, Peter, when you were winning your
:19:52. > :19:57.Paralympic medals? Five of them and ten Grand Slam titles. When were you
:19:58. > :20:04.most nervous? The first round, the semifinals. It is all or nothing
:20:05. > :20:10.essentially. If you win, you are in the final. The reality comes in the
:20:11. > :20:19.final. And then the very last game serving for the match. That is when
:20:20. > :20:26.you have to focus so much. It becomes tunnel vision. You have to
:20:27. > :20:32.exclude everything and pick the spot where you are going to serve.
:20:33. > :20:35.Because you are choosing, you are deciding, where the ball is going
:20:36. > :20:46.and in a way where it is coming back. You need to think of two
:20:47. > :20:51.shots. They are being roared on by a big support. Alfie Hewett and Gordon
:20:52. > :20:52.Reid have enjoyed calling themselves Wimbledon champions over the last
:20:53. > :21:28.year. It is interesting how the nerves
:21:29. > :21:38.fluctuate between each pair. Depending on what the score is, the
:21:39. > :21:45.nerves build and then they deflate. It has been an advantage in this
:21:46. > :21:47.final so far. Absolutely, sometimes it is good to be behind. Then the
:21:48. > :22:03.pressure comes off. He will be looking for a big serve
:22:04. > :22:31.because he has got nothing to lose now.
:22:32. > :22:40.Communication. That is why you hit the ball down the middle. It is so
:22:41. > :22:42.effective. Both of them were doing backhand. Normally you would say it
:22:43. > :23:24.is the forehand. That is a ripper. That is what he
:23:25. > :23:31.has got to do. He has got to take the ball by the horns and use his
:23:32. > :23:42.chair and his body and go for it. Be aggressive and not passive.
:23:43. > :24:00.Oh, dear. Stephane Houdet raised his game at the time he needed to. They
:24:01. > :24:07.also went a bit passive. They did not go for the win. But that is
:24:08. > :24:15.often what happens when you are serving for a match.
:24:16. > :24:27.It will be a third set tie-break if it goes to 6-6.
:24:28. > :24:32.The pressure is off Hewett and read now. It would be nice for them to
:24:33. > :25:03.break back. Oh, he has missed it. Houdet has
:25:04. > :25:34.missed his little drop volley. Oh, that is just brilliant from
:25:35. > :25:42.Alfie Hewett who is firing again. That is what they want. That
:25:43. > :26:01.forehand crosscourt. It flashed past the front of Houdet.
:26:02. > :26:06.You could hear the crash and that was Houdet's chair coming down onto
:26:07. > :27:26.the ground. Great chair control. Unlucky,
:27:27. > :27:33.though. Wow. Isn't that the nerves of steel by the Frenchman? I suspect
:27:34. > :27:35.I was not the only one who forgot to breathe during the rally. Still
:27:36. > :28:07.another break point. It was long. I do not think these
:28:08. > :28:17.challenges are going to improve percentage-wise. They cannot have
:28:18. > :29:19.many challenges left. It's good, solid tennis. He thought
:29:20. > :29:23.he was going to go for the usual forehand but he headed into the
:29:24. > :29:45.trams. But play. I was just saying to myself, come on
:29:46. > :29:52.Alfie Hewett, rip a backhand top-spin, and he did. He eyed it up
:29:53. > :29:56.and he went, wash! In moments like that, he's been the best player on
:29:57. > :29:58.the court. If it was a highlight reel, he would beat providing most
:29:59. > :30:29.of the shots. The extra pace with Hewett again on
:30:30. > :30:37.his forehand, made Houdet overcook it. Karen Ross on her feet. She's
:30:38. > :30:46.been with Gordon Reid for a decade or so now. She was with Andy Murray
:30:47. > :30:47.went he was growing up in Dunblane. She knows what this moment might
:30:48. > :31:12.mean. Oh, he's got it! He has got it and
:31:13. > :31:41.the family are little bit excited! Well, they've been here before.
:31:42. > :31:48.Sure, it's brilliant. That's why we watch it, that's why we play, that's
:31:49. > :31:56.why we love sport. They absolutely have loved being champions. A couple
:31:57. > :32:03.of weeks ago, Gordon Reid added MBE to his name on the back of that
:32:04. > :32:06.Paralympic medal, met the Queen in Edinburgh. Alfie Hewett has been
:32:07. > :32:10.French Open champion. But this is where it started for them 12 months
:32:11. > :32:24.ago on these courts, at this place, at Wimbledon. It's really defined
:32:25. > :32:29.them as a partnership. Gordon Reid's girlfriend in the white dress
:32:30. > :32:39.leading the applause. And again, one game. But we know how tough that can
:32:40. > :33:01.be sometimes. This time, it will be on the serve of Gordon Reid.
:33:02. > :33:07.That's a good omen, isn't it? And miscommunication by the French
:33:08. > :33:30.again. And Hewett and we'd take the first point.
:33:31. > :33:37.That's the pressure of the double faults, not surprising. So much at
:33:38. > :33:46.stake. Calling yourself Wimbledon champion. Not going to have anything
:33:47. > :34:06.in out left! -- any fingernails left!
:34:07. > :34:15.The right shot for Gordon, hit it right at the wheels of Peifer and he
:34:16. > :35:16.got a short ball and he could put that away really easily.
:35:17. > :35:58.Two championship points. To defend the title.
:35:59. > :36:05.Celebrations in the standard at a bit premature. It looked it but
:36:06. > :36:07.Peifer was way too fast there and guided it between me two British
:36:08. > :36:39.players. Still another match point. And a reminder that if this goes to
:36:40. > :36:40.6-6, where it entering a tie-break, just like last year to decide who
:36:41. > :37:06.the champions are. Two championship points have come
:37:07. > :37:23.and gone. Now there's one more. People can barely watch in the
:37:24. > :37:43.commentary box. Do a big serve, that's what I'd do!
:37:44. > :38:27.Especially for that, go big. They're being careful, quite rightly.
:38:28. > :38:33.Thing is, you can't pick it. It keeps swinging, the momentum keeps
:38:34. > :38:58.changing. The pressure keeps changing on each player.
:38:59. > :40:38.And we're into a tie-break. And hats off to Peifer and Houdet. Under
:40:39. > :40:45.enormous pressure. Made sure that just like last year, this men's
:40:46. > :40:52.doubles final will be decided in the most domestic of fashions. --
:40:53. > :40:57.dramatic of fashions. The French are serving first as well which gives
:40:58. > :40:58.them a slight advantage. The championship points came and went
:40:59. > :41:52.for the British. Fabulous reach by Alfie Hewett
:41:53. > :42:18.there. Maybe outfoxed Houdet. He does keep pulling out the big
:42:19. > :42:24.forehand and backhand when they really, really need it. Could not
:42:25. > :42:57.get much tighter! There is the first mini-break in
:42:58. > :43:23.this tied deciding tie-break. That was wide of the centreline. I
:43:24. > :43:31.don't think we've got one right, yet. And the trend continues.
:43:32. > :43:51.Your heart goes out to Stephane Houdet. Not a great time to
:43:52. > :43:52.challenge, tie-break, second serve, changes your with and your
:43:53. > :44:22.smoothness. -- changes your rhythm. Just gone off the boil a little bit,
:44:23. > :44:56.Gordon. CROWD: ??CAP NEXT come on, boys.
:44:57. > :45:02.Their coach is off his feet. Karen Ross next door is offering support,
:45:03. > :45:10.the crowd are offering support. They used as support me through my
:45:11. > :45:54.trials and tribulations as well. A fantastic reach by Hewett. He has
:45:55. > :45:56.been a little superstar over the last half an hour. He is the one
:45:57. > :46:33.driving them forward now. They have had championship points
:46:34. > :47:18.before. They have got four more of them.
:47:19. > :47:26.Gordon and Alfie can afford to be positive. They can afford to take a
:47:27. > :47:55.couple of risks. They have a couple of spare points. Be aggressive.
:47:56. > :48:12.They have done it. They have done it again. Hewett and read. Alfie and
:48:13. > :48:20.Gordon, Wimbledon champions again. Amazing. Amazing scenes.
:48:21. > :48:44.How good was he? Gordon Reid, the Paralympic champion, the Paralympic
:48:45. > :48:48.gold medallist, alongside the Paralympic silver medallist. They
:48:49. > :48:54.have another 12 months of being able to call themselves Wimbledon
:48:55. > :49:02.champions. How about that? Unbelievable, it is fantastic. As
:49:03. > :49:09.Gordon was pointing to Alfie again, similar to their match last year.
:49:10. > :49:15.When Alfie is hitting those backhand shots, it puts pressure on the
:49:16. > :49:22.opponents. He lifted them up in that tie-break. Glorious. Let's not
:49:23. > :49:29.forget the work that the coaches put in. The back room teams. I am not
:49:30. > :49:34.entirely sure the official steward should be doing that. There you go,
:49:35. > :49:40.any semblance of neutrality thrown out of the window. It has been that
:49:41. > :49:46.kind of day. Brilliant, absolutely fantastic. I work for Stephane
:49:47. > :49:52.Houdet as well, one of the great men of this sport. He has contributed to
:49:53. > :49:57.wheelchair tennis for so long. He is a fabulous ambassador. This is an
:49:58. > :50:10.exhibition of wheelchair tennis for everyone. We see it all the time and
:50:11. > :50:19.we have been pushing the boundaries. These four players are marvellous.
:50:20. > :50:23.The talent is incredible. The president of the French tennis
:50:24. > :50:34.Federation is amongst those getting the autographs. Look at Alfie
:50:35. > :50:42.Hewett's face. I think they knew how close they came. Who wants the
:50:43. > :50:48.sweatband of a Wimbledon champion? I hope he gets those free. That is
:50:49. > :51:03.where the sport has changed! You laid the foundations for this,
:51:04. > :51:09.Peter. It is just brilliant. One of the wonderful things as well seeing
:51:10. > :51:12.those kids get their autographs, we are of a generation were watching
:51:13. > :51:17.somebody played tennis in a wheelchair was something new for us,
:51:18. > :51:22.something we had to get used to, something we learned about. For this
:51:23. > :51:28.next generation watching people playing tennis in wheelchairs is
:51:29. > :51:32.commonplace, that is what happens. Absolutely and also the history of
:51:33. > :51:42.disability and the changes in society for various things. This is
:51:43. > :51:45.the norm. In my daily life I can do everything you can do, I can play
:51:46. > :51:51.tennis in the same as everyone else, it is just that I am sitting down.
:51:52. > :51:54.Ladies and gentlemen, the trophies will be presented on court to the
:51:55. > :52:02.winners and the runners-up of the wheelchair doubles. Please welcome
:52:03. > :52:06.to court David Rollinson, the member of the committee of the management
:52:07. > :52:18.of the Championships and deputy president of the LTA.
:52:19. > :52:23.Firstly, this year's runners up from France, Stephane Houdet and Nicolas
:52:24. > :53:03.Peifer. And now the 2017 Wimbledon champions
:53:04. > :53:08.from Great Britain, Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett.
:53:09. > :54:00.Let's grab a work with our champions. Alfie, how good is it to
:54:01. > :54:08.come here and defend your title? It is absolutely amazing and to do it
:54:09. > :54:12.in such a close battle as well against the French. They fought for
:54:13. > :54:16.every single point even when they were 5-3 down. They made a great
:54:17. > :54:24.match of it. Congratulations to them. It was a terrific match in
:54:25. > :54:31.terms of quality and as Alfie said, Gordon, the fight from Stephan and
:54:32. > :54:35.Nicholas, they saved four match point in the end and they put you
:54:36. > :54:39.under pressure. They do not like doing it the easy way that is for
:54:40. > :54:46.sure. I would like to thank them for the way the match was played, in the
:54:47. > :54:53.best spirit possible. And look at this crowd, listen to it. You guys
:54:54. > :54:56.are amazing. I have been playing wheelchair tennis for 12 years and
:54:57. > :55:01.never once did I think we would fill a stadium out in Wimbledon like
:55:02. > :55:06.this, especially as the women's singles final was happening on
:55:07. > :55:11.Centre Court. I hope you enjoyed the match and thank you for the support.
:55:12. > :55:15.I do not think there will be a single person here who did not enjoy
:55:16. > :55:19.it and who was not applauding every shot of the near three hours of
:55:20. > :55:24.action, spread over a longer than that because of the rain delays. How
:55:25. > :55:28.tough was it in the closing stages of the third set knowing you were
:55:29. > :55:33.that close to retaining the title to go through and do it? When you have
:55:34. > :55:38.four match point and they saved them all and you have to go into a
:55:39. > :55:43.tie-break it is quite tiring and you have to restart and go again. We did
:55:44. > :55:46.a good job of going out there and having no regrets and just going for
:55:47. > :55:50.it and playing instinctively and that is what we did in the end. It
:55:51. > :55:58.is one of the best tie-breaks we played. You have got a whole section
:55:59. > :56:08.of family, friends, supporters, coaches. What would you like to say
:56:09. > :56:12.to them? They have been there for us ever since the start of our
:56:13. > :56:17.journeys, especially my guys back over there. And the coaches over
:56:18. > :56:21.there and everyone else is spread out around the court, it is great to
:56:22. > :56:26.experience this with them and celebrate with them. There will be
:56:27. > :56:31.some watching, like little Cameron who is ten years old, who wants to
:56:32. > :56:38.follow in your footsteps. What do you hope next for wheelchair tennis?
:56:39. > :56:43.What do you hope that this and having it on Court the can now
:56:44. > :56:48.propel you to do? That is what it is all about. And last year the sport
:56:49. > :56:53.has grown massively, especially in this country. The more opportunity
:56:54. > :56:57.we have on this stage to showcase the sport, the more chance we can
:56:58. > :57:02.inspire young people to pick it up and it can have an impact on their
:57:03. > :57:06.lives as well. Hopefully we can peep people in the sport and keep going
:57:07. > :57:14.on the Centre Court may be in a couple of years. Well fed and well
:57:15. > :57:31.played. To our champions once again, Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett.
:57:32. > :57:39.They speak so well and they played so well as well. It was immensely
:57:40. > :57:43.exciting. I mentioned little Cameron who is sitting there behind, because
:57:44. > :57:50.he wants to be the next Alfie Hewett. What an inspiration those
:57:51. > :57:53.guys are. The thing about disability sport, this is about professional
:57:54. > :57:58.people playing the best sport they possibly can and it shows what they
:57:59. > :58:02.can do. They have now grabbed the union flag and Gordon and Alfie are
:58:03. > :58:10.celebrating with their trophy. They have come through 6-7, 7-5, 7-6. The
:58:11. > :58:14.French pair saved four match point. It was a thrilling match and they
:58:15. > :58:18.thoroughly deserved their victory. I cannot tell you what a joy it is to
:58:19. > :58:24.be here in front of such a large crowd applauding high-quality
:58:25. > :58:27.tennis. Well done to them. Coverage continues on BBC One of the mixed
:58:28. > :58:33.doubles final. Goodbye.