Novak Djokovic beat Tomas Berdych in three sets in the Dubai Open on Friday to earn a shot at his 50th title and a chance to atone for last year’s loss to Roger Federer.
The world No. 1 from Serbia won 6-0, 5-7, 6-4 against the former Wimbledon finalist from the Czech Republic in a lengthy and unpredictable semi-final that began as high speed one-way traffic.
Djokovic started so brilliantly that he won the first set in only 23 minutes, then the first seven games and even went a break up early in the second set, at which stage he seemed unstoppable.
However, he forced Berdych to play so well that when his own level dropped, he found himself slipping into difficulty. Berdych began to serve well, to focus even harder and to hit some rousing ground strokes. In the third set when he got Djokovic at deuce on one of his service games and at 15-30 on another it seemed he might even tilt the see-saw to its full opposite.
The third phase saw Djokovic hang on tight, break for 3-2 with the help of one deftly angled dink made while running at full speed, and negotiate every subsequent crisis.
By then he had morphed into a hungry fighter who was quite different from the Midas-touched genius who started the match.
Federer advanced by winning 6-2, 6-1 in less than an hour against Borna Coric.
Coric showed hints of humor to leaven his disappointment.
“I was watching him when I was six or seven and hoped I would one day play him,” he said. “I knew it would be difficult and there is more pressure than when you are watching on the sofa.”
Federer knew all about that, and even more about the pressures that Coric is now likely to have heaped upon him.
“I remember when I played Andre Agassi when I was 17,” Federer said. “I was scared I would lose love and love, and I won five games, and that’s how it goes. I wish Borna well for the rest of his career.”
Argentina Open
Reuters, BUENOS AIRES
Rafael Nadal, working his way back to top form after wrist problems last year, reached the Argentina Open semi-finals with a 6-1, 6-1 rout of Federico Delbonis on Friday.
Nadal pumped his fist after winning a superb rally in the fifth game of the second set and again when the Argentine hit the ball wide on second match point.
“It was very important for me to reach the semi-finals here in Argentina,” said Nadal, who overwhelmed Delbonis in an impressive battering lasting 1 hour, 4 minutes.
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