Battling Berdych stays in semi-final chase in London

By Bill Scott Nov 23, 2011, 18:45 GMT

London - Tomas Berdych won a tight contest with tournament fill-in Janko Tipsarevic 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) on Wednesday to keep the race for semi-final spots at the ATP World Tour Finals wide open in Group A.

The Czech saved a match point against Serbia's Tipsarevic, a late replacement for injured Scot Andy Murray at the season wrap up event, then scratched out the victory.

'One point, that's the best about the tennis,' said Berdych, who had a match point in his opening loss against Novak Djokovic. 'It's not over until the last ball is in the net.

'I was a bit unlucky on Monday, I got luckier here. There is a good chance to play well on Friday and to have a good chance to qualify and go through. So we will see,' he said of the tight race for semi-final spots.

World number one 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 he 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 - from a Tipsarevic double-fault - as the Serb slipped on a return, wrenched his knee and could not get up in time to reach a ball in the empty court.

'I'm pissed at myself that I managed to make my first double fault and I completely managed to put Berdych back in the match.

'I'm OK, my right knee still hurts and I'm feeling this dull pain. But my feeling now is that I will be ready for practice tomorrow afternoon.'

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.

'I think my tennis is really, really good and I'm experienced well from the last year,' said the optimistic Berdych, 'These matches are a bit different than regular tournaments.

'I'm enjoying to play and I will keep fighting for try to go through.'

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