Nicolas Almagro thumps Tomas Berdych to reach the quarter-finals – BNP Paribas Open 2012
A stunning outcome was witnessed in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open when the 12th seed Spaniard, Nicolas Almagro, defeated the world number seven, Tomas Berdych, in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0, to reach the quarter-finals.
The 26-year-old outclassed his age fellow in an assertive fashion, booking a berth in the final-eight of the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Masters Series event being played in Indian Wells, the Unites States.
Almagro exhibited a world class display of tennis to dispose of the superior-ranked Czech opponent. It was his 21st victory of the running ATP season and the most stunning one as well. The Spanish number three took just
one hour and 14 minutes to wade off the sloppy resistance offered by Berdych and carried on with his voyage to win his second championship title of the year.
The Spaniard dropped merely three points on his 58 per cent precise first serve, bagging 23 out of 26 and firing eight thudding aces to his opponent’s court. He crafted a total of 13 break opportunities in the match but only four
conversions proved sufficient for him to beat Berdych in straight set. The seventh seed Czech badly failed to convert any of his two break chances in the match, ending his voyage in Indian Wells in a dismal manner.
The opener witnessed a conventional start from the two contestants, with successful serve holds in the opening six games. Almagro finally delivered the first blow to break into a 4-3 lead and went on to pocket the set at 6-4. He
went into his rage mode in the following set, stinging three successive breaks of serves to rocket away to victory at 6-0.
A mammoth task waits Almagro in the quarter-final round of the BNP Paribas Open, as he will have to go one-on-one against the belligerent world number one, Novak Djokovic of Serbia, on Friday. The top seed Serb formulated a 6-0,
6-7(5), 6-2, victory over the other unseeded Spaniard, Pablo Andujar, in the fourth round to book a date with the world number 12, Almagro. It will be the third battle between these two top-class athletes, with Djokovic winning the prior two encounters to
lead 2-0 over Almagro.
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