Berdych retires, Djokovic into Dubai final
Posted February 25, 2011 11:05 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Novak Djokovic reached the Dubai Championships final for the third straight year Friday, defeating a hobbling Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic who retired with the score 6-7 (5), 6-2, 4-2.
Djokovic, who has won the last two Dubai titles, dropped the first set after committing a series of unforced errors and having few answers for a strong Berdych serve that produced eight aces. Djokovic managed to save four match points in the set but Berdych won the tiebreaker when Djokovic hit his return long.
Djokovic found his game in the second set and Berdych began to show signs of what he later said was an injured quad muscle in his left leg. The third-ranked Czech was seen several times by a trainer as he struggled to catch up to Djokovic’s forehand. The Serb broke Berdych to go up 3-1 and used several well-timed aces and well-placed drop shots to win five of the last six games to take the set.
The final set was all Djokovic. He never trailed and with the score 4-2 and 0-30, Berdych retired saying he couldn’t serve properly due to the injury.
“Yeah, the problem was my left quadriceps. Was not able just to serve, move to the sides, and just feel the pain,” said Berdych, who said he would return home to have the injury examined.
“It’s no chance to just play with this guy in the conditions that I was feeling,” he said. “So, you know, just didn’t make sense to be walking sides and just be able to finish. That’s not my style.”
Djokovic, who had beaten Berdych at this year’s Australian Open quarterfinals on his way to winning his second Grand Slam title, said it was the “worst” he played this year but was glad to have the win. He now holds a 6-1 record against Berdych, with his sole loss coming at last year’s Wimbledon semifinal.
“I don’t know how to explain today’s match really. In one word: catastrophe,” Djokovic said. “I think the match overall and my game, it was the worst match this year for me, worst performance. But I managed to get a win, so I guess that’s what matters.”
Djokovic said he was saved by a serve that was consistent throughout and conditioning that has allowed him to handle the heat on the warmest day of the tournament.
He has quit matches several times in the past due to heat, including the 2009 Australian Open quarterfinal against Andy Roddick in which he retired due to heat-related illness.
“To be honest, I already feel the big improvement playing in the heat,” he said. “I felt it in Australia that I was feeling good, not feeling the heat effect too much as I had in the past. Here, today was a very hot day. I felt great on the court. Felt great meaning I could have gone the distance, you know. Physically I felt well. Game wise I felt like a baby.”
In the final Saturday, Djokovic will face the winner of the night match between top-seeded Roger Federer and Richard Gasquet of France. Djokovic said he doubted his victory against Federer in the Australian Open semis would give him any kind of edge if the Swiss advances to the final.
“I lost maybe three times before that to him. So I don’t think that he will think too much about that match, because he hasn’t lost that often in the last five, six years in Grand Slams,” Djokovic said. “We know each other really well. We know each other’s game. Mostly in last three, four years we had matches in semis or finals. It’s always high stake and big challenge.”
