By Chris Oddo | Monday, January 25, 2016
Roger Federer downed Tomas Berdych for a fifth consecutive time to reach the Australian Open semifinals.
Photo Source: Mark Peterson/Corleve
Roger Federer had dropped his last two Grand Slam battles with Tomas Berdych heading into Tuesday’s Australian Open quarterfinal with the burly Czech. This fact probably explains why Federer was so committed from the start of his 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-4 victory. Federer cracked 48 winners and broke serve five times on ten opportunities to win for the 16th time against six losses against Berdych, booking a spot in the semifinals against either Novak Djokovic or Kei Nishikori.
More: Serena Makes it 18 Straight over Sharapova
Federer and Berdych battled through a tight first set in which the players traded early breaks. Berdych, who came out with good intensity, saved a set point to level at 5-all before the pair headed to a tiebreaker, where a brilliant Federer drop shot gave the Swiss a 6-3 lead and three more set points.
Federer would convert on his second to take the early lead.
“I think the first set was tough,” Federer said. “It was the one that took the longest, had the most importance of all the sets, in my opinion. It was definitely key to the rest of the match because I think it maybe might've taken some energy out of Tomas. Who knows? If not physical, also mental. It's always tough to lose the first set in best of five in a breaker in my opinion.”
Federer grabbed the early break in set two, and would eventually take a double-break 5-2 lead before serving it out to take a commanding lead.
The 34-year-old Swiss has dropped just one set in five matches at Melbourne, and after trading breaks with Berdych again in the third, Federer broke critically in the ninth game before serving the match out.
“He came up with a game that was really good,” Berdych said. “You know, he was playing really, really aggressive, without any mistakes, without any unforced errors. He was just too good today. I mean, that's it.”
Federer has now reached the Australian Open semifinals 12 times in his last 13 appearances. The victory places the Swiss into his 39th career Grand Slam semifinal. He has reached eight more than any other player in history.
“It's part of the reason why I guess I'm still playing,” Federer said when asked by a reporter what another Grand Slam title would mean to him. “I'm playing good tennis, fun tennis for me anyway. I really enjoy being able to come to the net more like back in the day. So I'm very pleased. It would mean a lot to me, no doubt about it.”