Post by lau on Nov 7, 2005 1:49:43 GMT 3
Berdych enhances reputation as giant killer
By Patrick Vignal
PARIS, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal may have suggested the name of Tomas Berdych if asked who might break their monopoly of this year's Masters Series tournaments.
Few others would have bet on the quiet 20-year-old Czech, who upset in-form Croatian Ivan Ljubicic in a five-set thriller to claim the Paris Masters title on Sunday.
The reason why Federer and Nadal, the world's top two players who have won the season's other eight events, might have tipped Berdych is because he has beaten them both.
The quiet Berdych, the world number 50 before his Paris run, is one of two players along with Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty to have posted victories over Federer and Nadal in the past two seasons.
"It helps because you know that you can beat everybody on the tour," he said when reminded of his victories over the leading pair.
Berdych enhanced his reputation as a giant killer, beating four seeds en route to the final before taming Ljubicic, the world number 10 who recently won titles in Metz and Vienna before stretching Nadal to five sets in the Madrid final.
By beating Ljubicic, Berdych became the second-youngest winner of the Paris tournament after Boris Becker, who was 18 when he won here in 1986.
"We were looking at the list of former champions with my coach in the morning and I saw that Becker was only 18 when he won it and Marat (Safin) was also 20 when he won (in 2000)", Berdych said. ;D
"I said to myself it would be nice if I could put my name on that list."
GREAT FEATS
Predicting great feats is a habit for the combative Czech.
After losing to Nadal in the Bastad final in July, he said: "Never mind, I'll beat him next time".
He did, knocking out Nadal in the first round of the Cincinnati Masters in August.
Before coming to Paris, Berdych had won just one title, on the Palermo clay last year.
He did, however, make headlines by knocking out Federer at last year's Olympics in Athens, where he reached the quarter-finals.
A man of few words, Berdych, whose partner is Czech professional player Lucie Safarova, is happy to let his tennis do the talking.
"He's quiet," said his coach Jaroslav Navratil.
"He's not a party animal. He's entirely focused on his tennis and Lucie helps him do that."
Before Sunday's final, Navratil had warned that Berdych could hold his nerve if the final turned out to be a tense battle.
"He's never nervous at crucial moments and that's very important," Navratil said. "I see him entering the top 10 very soon."
Federer and Nadal probably share that view.
By Patrick Vignal
PARIS, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal may have suggested the name of Tomas Berdych if asked who might break their monopoly of this year's Masters Series tournaments.
Few others would have bet on the quiet 20-year-old Czech, who upset in-form Croatian Ivan Ljubicic in a five-set thriller to claim the Paris Masters title on Sunday.
The reason why Federer and Nadal, the world's top two players who have won the season's other eight events, might have tipped Berdych is because he has beaten them both.
The quiet Berdych, the world number 50 before his Paris run, is one of two players along with Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty to have posted victories over Federer and Nadal in the past two seasons.
"It helps because you know that you can beat everybody on the tour," he said when reminded of his victories over the leading pair.
Berdych enhanced his reputation as a giant killer, beating four seeds en route to the final before taming Ljubicic, the world number 10 who recently won titles in Metz and Vienna before stretching Nadal to five sets in the Madrid final.
By beating Ljubicic, Berdych became the second-youngest winner of the Paris tournament after Boris Becker, who was 18 when he won here in 1986.
"We were looking at the list of former champions with my coach in the morning and I saw that Becker was only 18 when he won it and Marat (Safin) was also 20 when he won (in 2000)", Berdych said. ;D
"I said to myself it would be nice if I could put my name on that list."
GREAT FEATS
Predicting great feats is a habit for the combative Czech.
After losing to Nadal in the Bastad final in July, he said: "Never mind, I'll beat him next time".
He did, knocking out Nadal in the first round of the Cincinnati Masters in August.
Before coming to Paris, Berdych had won just one title, on the Palermo clay last year.
He did, however, make headlines by knocking out Federer at last year's Olympics in Athens, where he reached the quarter-finals.
A man of few words, Berdych, whose partner is Czech professional player Lucie Safarova, is happy to let his tennis do the talking.
"He's quiet," said his coach Jaroslav Navratil.
"He's not a party animal. He's entirely focused on his tennis and Lucie helps him do that."
Before Sunday's final, Navratil had warned that Berdych could hold his nerve if the final turned out to be a tense battle.
"He's never nervous at crucial moments and that's very important," Navratil said. "I see him entering the top 10 very soon."
Federer and Nadal probably share that view.
