A star is born this week in Paris. Aged 20, - hardly more than Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet - , Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic has captured the 2005 BNP Paribas Masters. After capturing the first two sets, against Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic, Berdych couldn’t help his opponent rallying back to impose a final set. Yet in the decisive set, he displayed imperial tennis to make the difference, winning 6/3, 6/4, 3/6, 4/6, 6/4 in 3h02. With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Berdych is only the third player to win an ATP Masters Series event this year.
In the opening set, Ljubicic looked a little less explosive than he did in his previous matches this week. A favourite to capture his first major final, after he came awfully close two weeks ago in Madrid against Rafael Nadal, Ljubicic might have been a little tired. More erratic than usual, he dropped his serve in the fourth game, and a conceded the set 6-3, after just 33 minutes of play against an extremely relaxed Berdych who was dictating play with his formidable forehand.
The second set looked very even until 4 games all, with both players comfortably winning their service games. In the ninth game however, Berdych suddenly raised his level, returning to perfection. A majestic forehand crosscourt pass and a perfect backhand volley gave him the decisive break. He concluded in the following game on his fourth set point.
Ljubicic ready for a long fight
But you need more to discourage Ivan Ljubicic. The Croat, who found himself up two sets to love to Nadal and still lost in the Madrid final two weeks ago, was ready for a long and hard fought battle. Could Berdych sustain the quality of tennis he had displayed in the first two sets? Not quite.
His groundstrokes started landing a little shorter, and he began committing a few more mistakes. A break in the second game allowed Ljubicic to pocket the set 6-3. And in the fourth set, the Croat waited until the fifth game before a huge forehand mistake from Berdych offered him the break. Decisive, once again, as the Ljubicic closed the set 6-4.
Imperial tennis
During the change of ends, Berdych’s fans had reasons to worry, as their hero was given treatment on his left thigh. They were quickly reassured.
The final set was grandiose. Both players were on top of their game, hitting superb winners one after the other, to the delight of a full house. Serving at 4 games to 5, Ljubicic couldn’t afford any letdown. And he had none!
Bad luck however, Berdych transformed everything he hit into gold. Three winners later, the Czech had three championship points. One after the other, Ljubicic managed to save them. But when another aggressive forehand from Berdych forced him to miss, offering the Czech a fourth opportunity to capture the title, there was no miracle this time.
The first since Korda
With a skillful and aggressive backhand, Berdych wrong-footed the Croat, before collapsing on his back. His joy was contagious, as the 14000 spectators gave him an enthusiastic ovation.
A little later, he received the trophy from the hands of titleholder and three times champion, Marat Safin. He is the first Czech to capture an ATP Masters Series trophy since Petr Korda in Stuttgart in 1997.
Without doubt, the 20 year-old Czech, only ranked 50 (the lowest ranked player ever to win the title in Paris), earned his place among the best. It is surely no coincidence that the only man to have beaten both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the last 16 months, is the third man to put his name on a ATP Masters series trophy this year…