Novak Djokovic vs Tomas Berdych: Round Robin Preview – ATP World Tour Finals 2011
It’s finally time to see the ballistic world number one, Novak Djokovic of Serbia, in the season ending grand finale, the Barclays ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour Finals. The most successful player of the current
will play his opening Group A Round Robin match against the world number seven, Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic, on Monday night.
The much awaited contest will be played on the indoor hard courts of the glorious O2 Arena, in London, with two of the best players from their representing countries battling out for supremacy in the final show down of the tennis
season.
Serbian wind has been breezing with its optimum effect throughout the current year, with every single player submitting to its fierceness. Djokovic has been victorious in 69 of the 73 matches he took part in the running ATP season,
suffering defeats on just occurrences, making him the most successful tennis player on the ATP World Tour.
The Serbian has bagged 10 championship titles in the year 2011 so far, including three all-prestigious Grand Slam trophies and five ATP Masters 1000 events. Djokovic’s consistent performances with the racquet earned him the top
spot in the ATP men’s rankings on 4th July and he is still holding it with his fine form.
The top seed Djokovic was the first player to confirm a berth in the elite eight-man field at the ATP World Tour Championships. After playing unbeatable tennis foe eight consecutive months, the Serb has been struggling to maintain
his physical fitness in the game. He retired from the Davis Cup contest in September due to injury, following several weeks of lay-off from pro tennis. His brilliant in the season was hampered by a shoulder injury which caused him to lose the semi-final match
in Basel and he then pulled out of the semi-final in Paris Masters as well, just one week before the start of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. On coming to the O2 Arena, the world number claimed that he is fully fit for the demolition job in his opening
clash against Berdych.
“I have been serving almost 100% the last two or three days, so for me the shoulder is fine at this moment. I can say it’s recovered and ready to compete,” told Djokovic to the reporters.
Berdych clinched the seventh spot in the mega event’s draw, with a 51-21 winning ratio for the season. The Czech number one claimed just one championship title in this year and has been working hard to remain in the Top-10 of the
ATP World Rankings.
Djokovic rides a five-match winning streak over Berdych in singles encounters, with three victories coming the current year. The Czech was outplayed by the top seed’s fury in the quarter-final of the Australian Open, and the semi-finals
in Dubai and Cincinnati as well. Berdych’s sole victory over Djokovic came in the semi-finals of the Wimbledon Championships last year but the Czech trails 0-7 against the Serb on hard courts.
Verily the world number one is the hot favourite for Monday’s matchup, provided his recovered does not hamper him again in the contest. Berdych was also in a good rhythm in his recent voyages and it is expected that he will succeed
in dragging the contest into the third set before submitting to the Serbian.
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