August 16, 2005
CINCINNATI - Tomas Berdych lit up Tuesday's night session with a three-set, first round knockout of second seeded Rafael Nadal at the 2005 Western & Southern Financial Group MASTERS.
Berdych ended the World No.2's 16-match winning streak with a bruising 6-7(4), 6-2, 7-6(3) victory. He cracked 70 winners to 45 unforced errors while Nadal managed 41 to 20 in the same categories.
The 19-year-old from the Czech Republic saved three match points serving at 5-6 in the third set, bringing the crowd to its feet and Nadal weary as they entered the deciding tie-breaker. Nadal double faulted the first point and then again at 3-5 to give Berdych three match points. But he needed only one of the match points, finishing the battle after two-hours, 57 minutes.
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID:
Berdych: Yeah, I think the service, yeah, the serve is one of my best shots. So I have to make my style of the tennis on the serve and then nots to play long rallies like Rafael is doing. So I needs to play something different than he's like, and I think I make it today.
Yeah, I'm happy with my tennis today.
(On the difference between today and the Bastad final):
So I think the biggest difference was the surface, because we play on the clay court and that's the ‑‑ I think the surface that Rafael like the most. And it was so close. So I was really waiting for the rematch on my surface so...
And I make it for myself, so I am happy. We will see.
Nadal: Yes, I think I don't have good luck in the draw. I say that in Montreal because today I was play against Tomas Berdych , so I know he's very good player. For the first round if you play against any player when he play with a little bit topspin, you can improve your game.
Because is the same court, but is not the same. Is same surface, but not always is the same because here is a little bit more slowly. The ball with the humidity stay little bit more tough.
So the changes, and I am little bit tired. I don't have the same explosion when I run. So for that, and because for ‑‑ because Tomas Berdych play very, very good match. So for that I lose today.
...I think Berdych is one future Top 10 player, I think. He play very well. He is very young.