Hamburg Day Three Early Match Report: Safin/Berdych

A very interesting matchup to start things off on Center Court, as the previous time former top-ranked Russian Marat Safin and current top tenner Tomas Berdych faced off was just a couple of weeks ago in Davis Cup, with Safin coming back from losing the first two sets to take the match 6-7 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4. To add injury to insult, Berdych hurt his ankle shortly thereafter, so the Czech hasn’t played an ATP match since that time. The quirkiness of the cosmos of course dictated that the two would face off again in Berdych’s first match back, with Tomas perhaps looking for a bit of revenge in this possibly fortuitous rematch. Oh, and Gerry Armstrong’s back in the chair this morning - let’s hope there’s not anymore CONTROVERSY like there was yesterday.

Safin, who is riding a four match winning streak having come through the qualifiers and a first round match, starts off serving and holds easily at 15. The lanky Berdych reponds with a love service game of his own to 1-1. Two quick Safin errors sees the Russian in the hole 0-30 on his next service game, and the Czech powers a forehand passing shot on the next exchange to earn three break points. Two huge forehands, the latter being a clean winner, give Berdych the break at love.

But not so fast. Two Berdych backhands into the net and a forced error from a deep and penetrating Safin stroke bring the Russin to three break points, and Tomas helps him to the first one by hitting a forehand wide, it’s 2-2. Berdych, never known as a strong mental player - a fact perhaps compounded by his recent lack of match play - just gives the break back like that, playing a terrible game.

Berdych gets to deuce on Safin’s next service game but hits a backhand well long and watches a Safin-smacked service whistle by and it’s 3-2 on serve in the first. Aided by four big first serves, the Czech then knots it up at 3-3. Two double faults and and error from Safin put him precariously at break point in his next service game, but Berdych nets another backhand for deuce. Marat hits an ace, Tomas returns a clean forehand winner, and we’re back where we started, deuce again. Safin gains the ad on a lucky net cord, and Berdych blasts a forehand well long, the Russian leads 4-3 on serve.

Berdych plays a very crisp game to tie the first set at 4-4. At this juncture, he just seems hungrier and a bit more INTERESTED than his Russian opponent. But Safin has won plenty of matches while being the less-interested party, winning on talent alone. He wins serve at 30 to go up 5-4. Some more solid play from Tomas knots it up at 5-5. 30-0 Safin in the next game and uh oh - Armstrong’s out of the chair bungling things up again. Safin hit a ball long and Gerry overruled saying it’s on the line - Berdych disagrees and has Armstrong come take a look see. The besieged ump says he saw it skid off the line, though he can’t find a mark. Then the linesman who made the original call comes out and points to the actual mark, which is out. Oops - maybe should have checked with him first, eh Gerry? Safin remains surprisingly unbothered, ripping a low forehand crosscourt for a winner on the ensuing point. He wins the game at 30, up now 6-5.

A bad bounce on a Safin return, a Berdych double fault, and a forced error and suddenly we’re at triple set point. Where did THAT come from? Tomas obliges Marat by netting a forehand, first set to Safin 7-5. It will be interesting to see if Berdych is able to not deflate and can stay positive for the second set.

And here we are in a new paragraph and a new set, and the Russian is playing some big and dominant tennis, ripping serves and whipping backhands to hold at 15. But just as quickly, the mercurial Marat runs cold, his errors helping Tomas to a quick service hold and to deuce in Safin’s next service game at 1-1. A couple of huge backhands gain the large Russian the advantage, which he converts with a big serve, 2-1.

A still-hungry Berdych holds at 30 for 2-all and earns a break point at 30-40 on Safin’s next service game, which he promptly gives back with a careless backhand over the baseline. After a five deuce game (4 ads for Marat and another saved break point), Safin ekes into the lead once again 3-2. Tomas seems to REALLY want this match, but keeps making just enough errors to not pull ahead.

Berdych holds at 15 for 3-all. Safin plays a ginormous game to hold at love (serves, forehands, backhands? He hit ‘em, and they were all big). Marat leads 4-3, still on serve. Berdych holds at 15 again for 4-all. And Safin continues his big pimpin’ for another easy service game, 5-4.

So, hey - remember what happened in that first set? Well, it’s happening again. A Berdych double fault and a backhand well over the baseline help Marat suddenly arrive at two match points, 15-40. He squanders the first by hitting a backhand wide, but Berdych - after hitting three lines - finally misses on the second match point, Safin wins 7-5 6-4.

In the end, there was not much between them. Both men made 27 errors, but Safin had two more winners (16 to 14). Both players had four break points, but Marat converted 3 and Tomas only made good on one. Basically, Safin just played the big points better, which Berdych’s lack of match toughness most likely contributed to - a very good match for Marat.