Tomas Berdych came through a battle with dangerous floater Martin Klizan in the second round of the U.S Open. The sixth seed won 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Berdych started out impressively before an eerily empty stadium as he won the first set 6-3. Then Klizan found his range, which is quite formidable on the lefthander’s forehand side, in the second and won it 6-4. Berdych, though, was having a good hitting day, whacking the ball cleanly and with intent, and romped through the second 6-2 as he asserted himself on the match.
Klizan, though, is a tricky opponent. Ask Kei Nishikori was who upset by him in the first round of this year’s Roland Garros or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who lost to him at the US Open ’12. The world No.65 broke Berdych as the Czech served to stay in the fourth set to take the encounter into a fifth set.
But the effort to extend the match took its toll on Klizan early in the fifth as he lost focus and was broken. Berdych surged ahead 4-1, but Klizan did his best to keep it a contest, earning break points at 3-5. Berdych though was too strong, and emerged the winner to take the set 6-3 and move into the third round.
Berdych was clearly relieved to get through the match. He has had a tough draw with Hewitt as his first round opponent and then Klizan. But he survived both and this battle should set him up well for his third round clash with Teymaruz Gabashvili.
Grigor Dimitrov had an altogether different day at the office to Berdych. The seventh seed sailed through his second round match with Dudi Sela 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. Dimitrov got better and better as the match on – made only 3 errors in the third set-and will meet in-form David Goffin in a battle of two of the game’s youngest and biggest talents in round 3.
Another young talent to win through was Dominic Thiem who came back from two sets to love down against friend and practice partner eleventh seeded Ernests Gulbis 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. Hanging in the match paid off for Thiem as Gulbis started cramping in the fourth set and hobbled through much of the fifth. The third round is Thiem’s best effort at a slam in his young career and he will face veteran nineteenth seed Feliciano Lopez in the round of 32.
Fifteenth seed Fabio Fognini was sent flying out the tournament by Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. The Frenchman crushed the Italian’s resolve and romped through the third set to meet 17th seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the next round.
Seeds Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet and David Ferrer, whose opponent Bernard Tomic was forced to withdraw, all made it into the last 32.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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