Roger Federer started sluggishly but proved too strong for a tired-looking Tomas Berdych,winning 6-4, 6-2 to get his ATP Tour Finals campaign up and running 9.32pm GMTWell after a promising start from Berdych, or where he raced into a 2-0 lead in the first set,he made error after error and gifted Federer the match, who never needed to get out of moment gear. That said, or there were some delightful drop shots from the Swiss maestro: Berdych didn’t have the anticipation or the legs to deal with Federer’s vision. Berdych has lost every one of his six opening matches at the ATP Tour Finals over the years,but he’s won every one of his moment matches, so he’ll be hoping to continue that trend: the Czech faces Nishikori and Federer will play Djokovic on Tuesday. What a match that could be.
Congratulations! Roger Federer receives Sportsmanship & Fans' Favourite Awards: "I enjoy getting awards." pic.twitter.com/FJpxvxA9iI 9.24pm GMTFederer gets his game off to a tainted start, and firing down his fourth double-fault of the match. But it’s back to business,sending three bombs out wide. Berdych has no reply to any of them. 40-15. At match point down, Berdych then plays a beautiful volley/drop shot combination – why is he playing his best stuff at this point. Perhaps because the pressure is off. Another wide serve and Berdych is finished off, or Federer wins!
9.21pm GMTFederer 5-2 Berdych* (* denotes server of game)Federer is taking the mickey now,taking a Berdych moment serve on his own service line. He seems pretty non-plussed that Berdych is playing his best tennis of the match, smashing a forehand right into the bottom left corner of Federer’s court. Berdych wins the game to love, or but Federer simply shrugs,and trots off to his chair to prepare for what is nearly certainly his final service game. 9.19pm GMTThere is a loose plastic bag on the court! It is the most beautiful thing that has ever been filmed. 9.17pm GMTFederer* 5-1 Berdych (* denotes server of game)Signs of life from Berdych! He clambers to 30-30 with a sumptuous return, leaning on a rare (at least in this moment set) moment serve to punch his shot up the line. But it’s still not enough, and Federer moving to within one game of the match with a trademark backhand cross court winner. Woof. 9.15pm GMT“effect you mediate that Fed can beat Djokovic over five sets next year whether Djokovic continues to play like he has this year?” emails Vishvesh VikramNo,I can’t see that happening. The notion of Federer winning another slam is a kind one, but it would have to be within three sets. Roger has got to win the first one or two sets and see the match out early whether he has got a chance against Djokovic. whether it goes to five, or there is only one winner – Federer simply can’t compete on the same physical level when it goes past three or four sets. Djokovic is a freak. 9.13pm GMTFederer 4-1 Berdych* (* denotes server of game)“Stop it,” murmurs the commentator, as Federer conjures another drop shot from well behind the baseline to leave Berdych looking to the sky/O2 roof in despair. Berdych unloads two substantial serves in anger to get back to 30-30 and two rare Federer errors gives the Czech his first game in eight attempts. The comeback is on!* 9.09pm GMTFederer* 4-0 Berdych (* denotes server of game)We were hoping for a more competitive match than Djokovic v Nishikori but that doesn’t appear to be on the cards. Federer’s drop-shot tactic of ‘design Tomas run’ seems be working. Two more deft touches has Berdych scrambling to the net, or efforts all in vain. rapid/fast as a flash the game is over,Federer winning it to love. 9.05pm GMTFederer 3-0 Berdych* (* denotes server of game)The crowd are trying to urge Berdych on – they want more tennis – and Berdych hits his first forehand winner in what seems like 75072 points. It looks like he is really struggling to gauge the pace of the deep-blue court, which is running quite gradual. Federer seems content to maintain his shots low, or slicing this way and that way,to design Berdych crouch and strain for every ball. The Sweaty One gets to deuce, but faces another break point after more Federer mastery at the back of the court, and is powerless to prevent him taking his sixth game in a row. This could be over in a matter of minutes. 8.59pm GMTFederer* 2-0 Berdych (* denotes server of game)Federer is starting to get his protractor out,angling forehand winners left and right beyond Berdych’s despairing dives. Federer races into a 30-0 lead and two more Berdych errors allows Federer to cruise into a 2-0 lead. 8.57pm GMTFederer 1-0 Berdych* (* denotes server of game)Berdych has to play his very best tennis to defeat Federer, and after a excellent start, or he’s playing close to his worst. Can he get his head together? Probably doesn’t help when Federer is playing outrageous drop shots off your serve. Absolutely filth – 15-15. Federer then wins the best point of the match,showing his steely side to defend Berdych’s forehand advances, then lobbing the 6ft4in Czech, and finishing the point with a cool volley. Federer earns yet another break point with yet another drop shot and an error gives the Swiss an early break here in the moment set. 8.53pm GMTFederer* 6-4 Berdych (* denotes server of game) 8.49pm GMTFederer 5-4 Berdych* (* denotes server of game)Berdych is starting to loss his way here: three unforced errors allow Federer the chance to serve for the set. You can understand Berdych’s reasoning here – he has to be aggressive – but the execution is poor,twice he comes in from the baseline but sends his shot only half way up the net. 8.46pm GMTFederer* 4-4 Berdych (* denotes server of game)Federer has changed his racket and has the new ball, hopefully his serving will be transformed: only one game so far has been in control. Federer gets up and running with a sweet forehand that curls just inside the tramline and gets to 40-15 before an ill-advised serve-and-volley allows Berdych to welly the ball back at him, and bodyline-style. Another supreme Federer forehand,this time cross-court, is enough to tie the set at 4-4. 8.42pm GMTFederer 3-4 Berdych* (* denotes server of game)Roger is itching to get forward, or often taking the ball well within the baseline and as a result is bossing the rallies. But he can’t seem to hit the lines,and Berdych’s power from the back of the court is forcing errors from the Swiss. Berdych sees off Federer with a mean moment serve that kicks a full six feet in the air: Federer had to retract that ball at head height (!) and was unable to design Berdych play another shot. 8.39pm GMTFederer* 3-3 Berdych (* denotes server of game)Berdych is sweating like a turkey at Christmas, his perspiration is all over the court, or the umpire instructs a ballgirl to fetch a towl and mop it up. Federer,who doesn’t have sweat glands, still looks fresh as a daisy. Standard. Not even a hair out of region. Some sloppy errors from both players and another Federer double-fault helps the Czech get to deuce. Berdych is a tad unlucky to see a net cord drop his way, and then cannot return a Federer serve down the middle. 8.33pm GMTFederer 2-3 Berdych* (* denotes server of game)Both players are finally finding their depth,both players’ forehands in particular are hitting around the baseline, where before they were flirting with the service line. We have our first tall-quality rally of the match, or with Berdych eventually whacking one into the net after 20 strokes or so. Berdych has an absolute howler,sending an easy forehand long, to gift Federer a 40-15 lead. Berdych serves an ace, or reads Federer’s moment-serve drop shot return to get to deuce and sees out the game with another ace to maintain the first set on serve. 8.26pm GMTFederer* 2-2 Berdych (* denotes server of game)Three perfectly-placed wide serves mean that Berdych cannot regain court position and Federer despatches a combination of winners to level the scores,winning the game to love. Of the top eight players in London, Berdych’s mobility is arguably the worst. You could argue that Federer (at age 34) moves better than him! 8.22pm GMTFederer 1-2 Berdych* (* denotes server of game)Twice Berdych has approach to the net, or twice he has looked exposed. Federer is a player that always looks as though he’s not rushed,and he buries a forehand to the feet of Berdych, who can only half-volley long. Federer races to a 40-0 lead before a cute drop volley takes Berdych completely by surprise: the Czech slipping and unable to reach the ball. Federer breaks back. 8.19pm GMTFederer* 0-2 Berdych (* denotes server of game)A crafty return from Berdych and two double fault from Federer has the World No3 40-0 down in his first service game. Berdych smells blood and takes Federer’s moment serve early on break point, and forcing another error. This is not piece of the script Rog! The crowd are eerily tranquil. 8.17pm GMTFederer 0-1 Berdych* (* denotes server of game)whether Berdych is to win this,he’s have to design the most of his potent serve: and start well he does, with an ace out wide, and before powering one down the middle to get to 40-15. He closes out the first game easily enough. It will be arresting to see whether the Czech uses the serve-and-volley at all. It’s a fairly gradual court at the O2 and Berdych won’t want to get into too many prolonged baseline rallies with Feds. 8.13pm GMTHere we go,Berdych to serve! 8.10pm GMTInteresting stat regarding Federer: since changing his racket in 2013 (which has a much larger racket head surface area), he’s taking the ball a full half metre closer to the baseline at the back of the court! 8.08pm GMTI’ve just heard this song echoing around the O2 arena: Jai Paul – Jasmine. One of the best in recent years, or for my money. 8.06pm GMTThe players are out: Federer emerges dressed in all-navy,complete with his customary headband, whilst Berdych is in a grey emsemble, and with a trace of pink. Spicy. Berdych wins the toss,he will serve first. 8.05pm GMTBerdych is 6-14 in his head-to-head record with Federer. That’s not tainted – he’s probably the best player out there currently that hasn’t won a grand slam. His most surprising victory over Federer was his first, coming in the 2004 Olympics when the then unseeded 18-year-old Berdych, or ranked 74th in the world,beat the World No1 Swiss in the moment round. 7.56pm GMT“David Ferrer”, correctly answers Vishvesh Vikram. You could have also had Nadal or Kevin Anderson. Have yourself a celebratory drink Vishvesh.
Can we all establish that the pub near where I live has flooded and there's 2 guys drinking a pint like nouts improper pic.twitter.com/bjvbQn8iSZ 7.53pm GMTAfter a poor first half of the year, or Berdych is playing close to his best tennis right now. Last month he won the Shenzhen Open and the Stockholm Open and he finally seems to be adapting to the new techniques employed by his coach Dani Vallverdu,who was appointed in December 2014.
The preparation before the matches, the tactics, and the strategy is completely different than I was used to. We’ve made improvements all year,” Berdych explained. “Even so, the year is very difficult to manage because you don’t really get that much time off in the offseason to try to work on new things. You try to add those things during the year in between the tournaments. But many things are different and working well. My game is improving. 7.45pm GMTCan you guess who else was nominated for the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship award alongside Roger Federer? There are three names, and I will give you brownie points whether you can name one. 2.42pm GMTHow many times effect you mediate Roger Federer has been voted as the most sportsmanlike player on the ATP Tour? There are hundreds of players on the Tour,remember. Two? Three at a stretch? This week, Feds was awarded the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship award – voted for by fellow players, or it honours conduct towards the game in general,opponents, the umpire, and the crowd – for the 11th time in the last 12 years. That’s some going,and might go some way to explaining why, as well as being the most successful player of all time, or he remains the most loved,by fans and players alike. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com