What had been an impressive start to the season for Roger Federer in 2017 has improved after triumphing over Tomas Berdych 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, winning 17 out of 18 games this season and advancing in the last four of Miami for the first time in six years!
It was their 24th meeting and Roger’s 18th victory, also the seventh in a row. For the first time since Dubai 2014, Tomas won a set against the big rival, but like many times before, he collapsed under the pressure, losing the final tiebreaker after wasting two match points at 6- 4.
The meeting lasted an hour and 57 minutes (the last time they played a third set was in Canada 2010), and little could separate two rivals, as the result suggests. Tomas won two more points than Roger, but he just failed to close the game on one of those match points he won.
Roger was more efficient behind the second serve, while Tomas performed better on the first, saving many break opportunities with the serve winners. The Swiss star had eight break opportunities, converting three to find himself in an excellent position to seal victory in the ninth game of the final set and avoid the continuation of the fight.
Nonetheless, Tomas bounced back to push his opponent to the limit, failing to find the last shot that could have sent him back to the winning side. Both players had 37 winners (Tomas was excellent on both wings, Roger mainly on the right side), but the Czech made five more mistakes, 27 to Roger’s 22.
Berdych had a slight advantage in the shorter points, and Federer responded by playing a little better in the longer rally to deliver an unforgettable game.
In 2017, Roger Federer saved match points against Tomas Berdych to enter the semi-finals.
Roger made a strong statement from the start, breaking up the opener of the game thanks to a shrewd defense and Tomas’ forehand error.
Federer saved a break point in the next game with an ace and had no difficulty in the next three service games to bring the first game safely home. He again beat Berdych in Game 7 with an unreal backhand shot that left Tomas unanswered and won the set after just 26 minutes with an ace in the next.
The 10th seed and a former runner-up leveled up in the second set to keep his serve intact, stealing Roger’s serve at 4-3 when the Swiss hit a long forehand. Berdych won the set in the next game after an excellent final point, establishing an interesting decider after just 59 minutes of play.
The final set saw the ultimate drama, despite being in a great position for Roger to seal the deal earlier. The Swiss pushed hard on the return and took a break in Game 6 for a 4-2 advantage, serving for the triumph at 5-3.
Suddenly, Tomas withdrew the break for love to extend the match and his chances. The Czech made another strong push in Game 10, saving a match point behind the initial shot to lock in the result at 5-5 and achieve a tie-break.
They opened it up with four mini-breaks before Tomas got another to go 5-4 ahead. Berdych won the next point on serve for a 6-4 lead and two match points, losing the first when his forehand found the net. Roger fended off second with a valuable serve winner and tied the score at 6-6, becoming the favorite to turn the scoreboard.
The number 11 ace sent Roger 7-6 up front, with his second match point to grab. Tomas hit a double fault for a heartbreaking loss and a real disappointment from what was a pretty solid two hours of tennis on the Miami Center court.
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