WHAT HAPPENED: World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has called him “the best player in the world that hasn't won a Grand Slam yet,” and others, like Aussie Bernard Tomic, insist that when he’s on his game, “you cannot do nothing.” It’s praise like this that leaves you scratching your head when you consider the curious career of Czech Tomas Berdych, long a hard-hitting Top 10 force but someone who, after more than a dozen years on the ATP World Tour, remains Slamless.
As the soon-to-be-tricenarian embarks on his 49th consecutive major, there’s ample reason to believe that he can still fill that glaring gap in his otherwise impressive curriculum vitae, even if he’s in Roger Federer’s quadrant of the draw. He’s reached the quarters or better at the US Open in two of the past three years, and has historically played some of his best tennis on hard courts, something we saw on the Grandstand on Tuesday when the No. 6 seed downed American wild card Bjorn Fratangelo 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
For both Berdych and Fratangelo, facing each other for the first time, the story of the match came down to the serve. Berdych crushed 13 aces and won 87 percent of his first-serve points (39 of 45). He also converted five of six break-point chances. Fratangelo, on the other hand, struggled from the service stripe all afternoon, landing just 37 of 87 first serves and winning only 65 percent of those points. He made good on just one of his seven break-point opportunities. Fratangelo, a former Roland Garros junior champion (and named for Bjorn Borg), had risen to a career high ranking of No. 106 earlier this year and was making his Grand Slam debut at age 22.
An ill-timed double fault from Fratangelo gave his opponent the first break of the day in the eighth game of the opening set, and the 6-foot-5 Berdych subsequently served out the otherwise evenly-played stanza. Looking downright psychedelic in his tie-dye H&M apparel, Berdych consolidated an early break to go up 3-1 in the second set and grab all the momentum he needed.
Though Fratangelo would put up more of a fight in the third, it was too little, too late: after an hour and 51 minutes of play Berdych stepped up to serve out the match, fittingly with his final ace of the afternoon.
WHAT IT MEANS: With a forecast for hotter temperatures and more sun in the coming days, Berdych feels confident in his fitness and adaptability. “It’s very difficult conditions,” he says. “It’s really going to show if players are prepared or not. I believe I’ve done all the possible work I can.” Should Berdych weather the early rounds, his serve on the hard courts makes him a potent opponent against anyone.
QUESTION: It’s been half a decade now since Berdych reached his one-and-only Slam final at Wimbledon. At 29, is it too late for him to reach another final?
