TENNIS in DEPTH.

Tomas Berdych claimed his first ever win at the ATP Tour World Finals and left Andy Roddick’s hopes of reaching the last four in tatters with a 7-5 6-3 win over the American at the O2 Arena. Both men needed a victory after losing their opening matches and, having saved a pair of set points in set one, Berdych found the form which took him to the Wimbledon final and closed out the match impressively. The duo are powerful servers and no breaks looked likely until Berdych found himself 15-40 down at 4-5. However, aggressive play from the sixth seed saved the set points and he completed his escape with a fantastic half-volley. Duly inspired, he fought back from 40-15 down in the next game, earned a break point, and converted it by swatting a second serve into the corner for a forehand winner. Berdych served out the set without any alarms and then broke again in the fifth game of set two when Roddick put an awkward smash millimetres wide, shortly after complaining about the flashing advertisements behind the line judges.

His Czech opponent’s dangerous forehand was now producing a steady stream of winners and Berdych went 5-3 up before a beautiful backhand winner helped him to a 40-15 lead on the Roddick serve. The disconsolate American then found the net from the baseline and is now rock-bottom of the Group A standings. Berdych is playing at the elite event for the first time and said: “I started this week nervously but today I started to play much better. “I’m playing for the first time this kind of system, with the groups. There’s still a chance (of reaching the semi-finals) and now it’s down to myself and my next opponent (Rafael Nadal).”

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