Tomas Berdych downs Lukas Rosol in the opening round – ABN AMRO World Tennis Championship 2012
Second seed, Tomas Berdych, thrashed his compatriot, Lukas Rosol, in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 to reach the second round at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Championship in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on Wednesday. He took an hour and 16
minutes to beat his opponent in a one-sided match.
Berdych and Rosol had a steady start as they did not drop their serve in the first nine games of the opener, taking the score to 5-4 in the former’s favour. The 26-year-old, Berdych, broke his opponent’s serve in the tenth game
and won the set 6-4.
The Czech bulldozed Rosol with his huge serves by bombarding seven aces and converted an amazing 17 of the 19 first deliveries into points. Berdych converted one of the four break points he received and saved the only one he came
across.
The world number 7, Berdych, made a flying start in the second set. The Czech grabbed first three games and took a 3-0 lead. Serving to stay in the match at 2-5, Rosol was unable to hold his serve and lost 2-6.
Berdych’s serve was not as destructive as it was in the previous set. The Czech hit three aces and just 55 percent of the first deliveries. However, he troubled his opponent with the powerful returns. The 6ft 5in tall won two of
the four break points he received in the second set.
Berdych is coming fresh from his country’s win over Italy in the first round of the Davis Cup.
The Czech said, talking to the reporters in the post match press conference, "It's always tough, especially the transition. Our court in Davis Cup was much faster and the bounce was much lower, but I coped with it pretty well and
was able to find my rhythm quite quickly and able to play my game."
At the Davis Cup, Berdych defeated Simone Bolelli of Italy in four sets 6-3 4-6 7-5 6-2 in the second rubber. The Czechs managed to get an unassailable lead on the second day, as Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated the Italian
team of Daniele Bracciali and Potito Starace 6-3 6-4 6-2 in the doubles encounter.
Berdych is drawn to play Marcos Baghdatis in the next match. The Cypriot prevailed over Matthias Bachinger of Germany in straight sets 7-6(2), 6-2 in first round.
Baghdatis and Berdych are tied 2-2 in the head-to-head series. Baghdatis got the better of Czech when they met for the last time in the round of 16 at the Western and Southern Open.
Tags: