ATP Finals: Djokovic wins and secures the number one spot. Berdych is out - UBITENNIS

ATP Finals: Djokovic wins and secures the number one spot. Berdych is out

By Staff
5 Min Read

TENNIS ATP FINALS – Novak Djokovic won 6-2, 6-2 in just 1 hour and 9 minutes of play against Tomas Berdych. The Czech player is out. Tonight Wawrinka needs to win just three games to secure second place in Group A. Form London, Paul Sassoon

Another quick and uneven match at the ATP Finals. Novak Djokovic brushed Tomas Berdych aside with a double 6-2 in 1 hour and 9 minutes of play. With this result Djokovic has secured his place in tomorrow’s semifinals as first in Group A and he will face Kei Nishikori in the afternoon semifinal. The Serb has also made sure that he remains world number one until 2015 regardless of what happens after today. This evening’s match will see Wawrinka play Marin Cilic and the Swiss number two is just 3 games away from qualification which would mean an all Swiss semifinal at the O2 Arena against Roger Federer.

As soon as the match was over, Djokovic celebrated with his team for the end of year number 1 spot which was under threat from Federer, “It’s a great deal of happiness knowing that what I’ve been through the entire season in order to get to where I am and finish the year as No. 1. As I said on the court, I owe gratitude to my team, to all the people who were next to me. It’s one of the ultimate challenges in this sport. So I’m very glad to be crowned as No. 1 of the end of the season.”

“One of the highest and most difficult challenges is to be No. 1 nowadays, especially because the tennis has become very competitive in the last five, ten years, very physical. To have a shot at No. 1 of the world, you need to be consistently healthy and successful throughout the year. Because Nadal and Federer are so good for so many years, they always make you win at least one or two Grand Slams if you eventually want to be No. 1, and of course with consistency, because they’ve been so consistent with their results. I know how difficult it is. It’s why I’m proud of this achievement.”

Just like the other matches, this one was quick and one-sided as Djokovic set out to dominate his opponent from the start. The Serb won the first four games dropping just 5 points until Berdych managed to hold serve in the fifth game, coming back from 0-30, after 18 minutes of play. The Czech managed to hold serve again in the seventh game, but he never managed to arrive to a break point. Djokovic ended the first set 6-2, in 31 minutes.

The second set was much the same as the first, the only difference is that the opening game is hard fought. Berdych went ahead 40-0 on his serve, but the Serb came back to break serve. Again the world number one won the first 4 games and then held his serve to win with another 6-2.

After the match Berdych wasn’t happy, but he recognised Djokovic’s superiority, “definitely he deserves to win. There was no question about it. He just secure his spot for the No.1 player in the world. I think it just show how great he is, how well he played during the whole season.”

The Czech was still pleased with his season despite this last difficult week, “the season was solid, was very good. Was another year to finish in top eight, that’s great. The other one is the last week of the season was terrible. That’s how it is.” And for next year, “I take every year as a new challenge. It’s how it is. I just try to push it as far as I can, get myself as close as possible to my limits.”

tabella Nole-Berdych

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