Novak Djokovic wins 6-2, 6-2
Novak Djokovic will end the year as the world No1. He glides into a 30-0 lead with a couple of sublime forehands; another brings up three match points. What a performance this has been. Djokovic has touched perfection against a bewildered Berdych and the match is over when one last sad Berdych forehand drops wide. That’s it! Djokovic is confirmed as the best player in the world. He holds his arms aloft, a big grin on his face, and then runs over to his box for a jubilant, bouncing embrace with his team. Apologies for stating the obvious - but what a player. He moves into the semi-finals, where he’ll face Kei Nishikori, while Tomas Berdych will have to wait and see what happens between Stanislas Wawrinka and Marin Cilic tonight. Thanks for reading. Bye.
Second set: Berdych* 2-6, 2-5 Djokovic (*denotes server): To Berdych’s credit, he hasn’t thrown in the towel, even though he must have known he never had much of a chance of winning this time. He holds again to 15. But now Djokovic will serve for the match.
Second set: Berdych 2-6, 1-5 Djokovic* (*denotes server): Berdych wins the first point of the game with a walloping forehand return. Djokovic responds by winning the next four points, the last with an ace. The crowd is silent.
Second set: Berdych* 2-6, 1-4 Djokovic (*denotes server): A break point to Djokovic. I start thinking about bagels. But Berdych digs deep to force deuce. We stay there for a while, neither man able to pull away, until Djokovic slaps a forehand into the net on game point. Berdych is on the board!
Second set: Berdych 2-6, 0-4 Djokovic* (*denotes server): I don’t think anyone would think any less of Berdych if he burst into tears.
Second set: Berdych* 2-6, 0-3 Djokovic (*denotes server): Djokovic clenches a fist and breaks again as the Berdych errors continue to pile up. Can an umpire end a match early on the grounds that one of the players is too good?
Second set: Berdych 2-6, 0-2 Djokovic* (*denotes server): How does dictionary.com define a contest?
noun
1. a race,conflict,or other competition between rivals, as for a prize.
2.struggle for victory or superiority.
3.strife in argument; dispute; controversy: Their marriage was marred by perpetual contest.
Updated
Second set: Berdych* 2-6, 0-1 Djokovic (*denotes server): Berdych begins the second set by racing into a 40-0 lead, which is just what the non-existent tennis doctor ordered, but soon it’s deuce and a little more edgy after a double-fault and an errant forehand. He needs those first serves but it’s not long before Djokovic has a break point. Berdych thinks he’s got himself out of trouble with an ace out wide but Djokovic correctly challenges. Second serve. Djokovic slices low and Berdych, stooping down, desperately flails a forehand wide. Oh dear. He’s been broken from 40-0 up.
Djokovic also needs one more set to ensure he finishes the year as the world No1. Just in case Berdych thought his level was going to drop.
Novak Djokovic wins the first set 6-2 and seals his semi-final spot
Berdych wafts a nothing return back into play off a second serve and Djokovic, grateful for such generosity, pings a backhand away for 15-0, before a cracking forehand makes it 30-0. Soon it’s 40-15 - two set points for Djokovic. He only needs one, Berdych sending a return past the baseline. If you’re looking for drama, 60 Minute Makeover is on ITV now.
First set: Berdych* 2-5 Djokovic (*denotes server): So, here’s Tomas Berdych, serving to stay in the first set for a few more minutes. What’s he got? A cross-court backhand pass is to make it 15-0, that’s what! A smash makes it 30-0 and he holds to 30 when Djokovic nets a forehand.
First set: Berdych 1-5 Djokovic* (*denotes server): Djokovic holds to 30. Berdych will now attempt to delay the inevitable.
First set: Berdych* 1-4 Djokovic (*denotes server): Berdych begins with a double-fault. If he’s looking for advice, and he probably is, he should stop doing that, because Djokovic does not need any encouragement. Soon it’s 0-30, a stunning forehand from Djokovic leaving Berdych gasping for air. But then something incredible happens: Berdych steals four straight points and - do not adjust your screen - he wins a game! That’s a relief.
First set: Berdych 0-4 Djokovic* (*denotes server): Why is Berdych wearing a baseball cap indoors? Is there a good reason for it, or is he simply guilty of poor sartorial etiquette? Either way, it’s not helping him. I think we’re getting to the point where Djokovic should have his laces tied together. Or maybe he could play left-handed? Because this isn’t a contest at the moment. It’s brutal. Djokovic holds to 15 in a game that featured some magnificent play from the world No1 and I fancy this might be over before 3pm. “Hi Jacob, some group of ex champs watching today court side John Mc, Mats W, Carlos Moya & Boris”Porthos”Becker,” says John McEnerney. “Novak will want to get this over & done with pretty quickly, he has too much for all of these apart from Fed but I cansee Novak beating Fed in the final, Fed was awesome last night but Novak is a much tougher cookie than Murray ever will be. It was painful to watch AM last night no backbone IMO. Novak off to a flyer TB will hopefully get going and test ND.”
First set: Berdych* 0-3 Djokovic (*denotes server): Berdych settles his nerves by winning the first point with a punchy backhand volley but Djokovic is quickly in control. First he drags Berdych back and forth across the baseline, torturing him with the variety and range of his hitting, then he forces him to drag a backhand volley wide to make it 15-30. An incredible, piercing backhand return brings up two break points for Djokovic. Berdych already looks miserable. This can’t be fun. Djokovic can’t take the first but it doesn’t matter, because Berdych gifts him the game with a tame error.
First set: Berdych 0-2 Djokovic* (*denotes server): Have you been to the 02 this week to see the tennis? If so, did you feel you got value for money? Only one match has gone the distance so far - Ferrer v Nishikori yesterday - so I’m not sure if fans will be entirely satisfied with what they’ve seen. Anyway they do get a tighter game than the first one here, Djokovic giving Berdych a glimmer of hope with a double-fault at 30-15, but he holds to 30 in the end, an ace keeping Berdych at bay.
First set: Berdych* 0-1 Djokovic (*denotes server): And here we go. It’s Berdych to serve first. He really needs this game. He knows it, the crowd knows it, you know it, I know it, Djokovic knows it, so losing the first point after being wrongfooted by a Djokovic backhand down the line isn’t ideal. Nor is rushing a forehand into a net to make it 0-30 or flapping a backhand into the net to give Djokovic three break points. He only needs one. He pounces on a lame second serve, pounds a backhand down the line and Berdych has no answer.
The players are out and they’re knocking up. On Sky, Mark Petchey is doing analysis. But it’s all irrelevant. Is there really anything Berdych can do to win this match, beyond tying Djokovic’s shoelaces together?
Tomas Berdych has played Novak Djokovic 18 times. He has lost 16 times.
Here come the players. It’s showtime. Cue smoke - a bit like Stars In Your Eyes - and music a pulsing beat and flashing lights, all of it adding to the sense of drama, just in case anyone wasn’t already excited about seeing Novak Djokovic. When I grow up, I want to be the announcer at the O2. What a voice he has. Do you reckon he speaks like that when he’s not working?
Afternoon. Roger Federer needed just 56 minutes to humble poor Andy Murray last night, so the challenge for Novak Djokovic is to gobble up Tomas Berdych in even less time than that. It’s a tall order but would you put it past him? After a disappointing hard-court season in the US – by his standards anyway – Djokovic has been scarily good recently, reaching an astonishing level in his 6-3, 6-0 destruction of Stanislas Wawrinka on Wednesday night, and Berdych will not have fond memories of his last match against the world No1, who beat him 6-0, 6-2 in the final in Beijing earlier this year. Berdych still harbours hopes of reaching the semi-finals here following his win over Marin Cilic in his previous match but he’s got his work cut out. Djokovic is on a mission.
Play begins at: roughly 2pm.
