LEAD: Berdych battles past substitute Tipsarevic

Nov 23, 2011, 17:28 GMT

London - Tomas Berdych triumphed over fill-in Janko Tipsarevic 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) in a tight struggle on Wednesday, keeping the field wide open in Group A at the ATP World Tour Finals.

The Czech saved a match point against the Serb, a late replacement for injured Scot Andy Murray at the season wrap up event.

World number one Novak Djokovic was squaring off later for a weekend semi-final spot against Spain's David Ferrer, with several qualification possibilities still in play.

Djokovic, dominator of the first nine months of the season with 10 titles, can book a final four spot with any victory over Ferrer, while the Spaniard can do the same with a straight-sets result against the Serb.

In the opposing group, holder Roger Federer took the first of the semi-final spots after four days of anticipation on Tuesday, with a remaining round robin match to go.

Tipsarevic came to the court with a 4-1 lead over Berdych, but lost their last meeting only days ago in Paris.

The creatively tattooed number nine Tipsarevic shocked Berdych, the world number seven, by seizing the opening set in 37 minutes to show that he was not just making up the numbers in the year-end eight-man field.

Berdych battled back in the second set, breaking for 5-3. The final set was anyone's to the asking as it went into a tiebreaker.

Tipsarevic led 3-5, but was unable to hold the gap as 2010 Wimbledon finalist Berdych levelled from his opponent's forehand just out to the corner.

The Czech saved a match point through a Tipsarevic backhand volley long and finally clinched the nail-biter on his first match point as Tipsarevic slipped on a return and could not get up in time to reach a ball in the empty court.

Berdych goes into his final group match on the back of 28 winners and a single break of Tipsarevic in the struggle, lasting almost two and a half hours.

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