Nicolas Almagro downs Tomas Berdych in the semi-finals of Open de Nice Côte d’Azur
Third seed Nicolas Almagro of Spain qualified for his fourth ATP World Tour final of the season, defeating world number 6 Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals of the Open de Nice Côte d’Azur
at Nice Lawn tennis Club in Nice on Friday. The match lasted for one hour and 27 minutes.
Berdych drew the first blood as he broke Almagro in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. However, the Spaniard was quick to respond as he broke back in the very next game and held his serve in the fourth game to square off the score
at 2-2. The next four games went with the serve, levelling the score at 4-4. After that, Almagro claimed the breakthrough as he broke the Czech in the ninth game and consolidated on it to claim the set 6-4.
The Spaniard fired four aces but failed to impress with the first serve percentage, hitting just 50 percent of the first serves in the opening set. However, the 25-year-old managed to convert an amazing 93 percent of the first
serves into points in the first set. In comparison, Berdych did not serve to his reputation as the big serving Czech hit just two aces and 65 percent of the first serves, clinching a mere 50 percent of the points on them. Interestingly, the right-handed had
a better second serve conversion rate as he converted 67 percent of them into points. Berdych capitalized on one of the three break point opportunities he created but failed to save both break points on his own serve in the first set.
In the second set, Almagro broke the Czech in the third game and consolidated on the break of serve to capture the set 6-4.
The Spaniard hit two aces and 48 percent of the first serves in the second set, clinching 83 percent of the points on them. While, Berdych served better as he fired three aces and 62 percent of the first deliveries. The six feet
and five inches tall grabbed 75 percent of the first service points in the second set. The Czech did not receive any break point and failed in saving the only break point he faced in the second set.
With this win, Almagro improved his head-to-head record to 2-3 against the Czech. In their last meeting, Berdych came back from a set down to beat the Spaniard in three sets 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3 in the round robin match at the Power
Horse World Team Cup last year.
The world number 12 will face Romanian Victor Hanescu, placed at 69th spot in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings, in the title match. Hanescu ousted world number 23 Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine in straight
sets 6-3, 6-3 in the semi-finals.
Tags: