Tomas Berdych overcomes Alexandr Dolgopolov in the second round – Rogers Cup 2011
Seventh seed Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic fought back from a deficit of one set to defeat world number 21 Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the second round at the Rogers Cup in Montreal on Wednesday.
The Czech took an hour and 42 minutes to down his opponent in a tough match.
Dolgopolov made a great start as he broke the Czech in the first and third game of the opening set, holding his own service games to grab a 4-0 lead. Berdych pulled one break back at 2-5 but he failed to do the same at 4-5, dropping
the set 4-6.
The Ukrainian had mix service results as he delivered just 44 percent of the first serves and won seven of the fifteen second service points. Whereas, he fired aces and sealed a whopping eleven of the twelve points on the first
serve in the opening set. Dolgopolov, however, returned far better than his opponent, winning six of the eighteen first return points compared to only one out of 12 by his opponent.
Berdych fought back in the second set and broke the Ukrainian in the fourth game, holding his serve in the next game to race to a 4-1 lead. The Czech broke Dolgopolov again in the sixth game to claim the set 6-2.
The Monte Carlo, Monaco resident relied on his powerful serves to win a number of easy points in the second set. Berdych converted an amazing ten of the eleven first serves into points. The six feet and five inches tall also captured
six of the nine second service points and four of the ten first return points in the second set. The Czech succeeded in converting two of the four break points he received in the second set.
Berdych and the Ukrainian comfortably held their serve in the first five games of the third set to take the score to 3-2 in favour of the former. The Czech broke his opponent in the sixth game and won his serve in the seventh game
to take a 5-2 lead. Berdych served out the set in the ninth game, bagging it 6-3.
The Czech hit four aces and converted seventeen of the 22 first serves into points in the third set. The 25-year-old captured four of the twelve first return points and capitalised on the one break point opportunity he created
on Dolgopolov’s serve in the final set.
Berdych will face world number 125 Ivo Karlovic of Croatia in the third round.
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