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  • Berdych Injury Moves Russia into Semifinals

    4/14/08 3:07 AM | Ricky Dimon
    - Just when the fourth rubber looks like it’s turning into an epic, an ankle injury cuts short Tomas Berdych’s clash with Nikolay Davydenko and allows Russia to win its Davis Cup quarterfinal tie against the Czech Republic.

    Russia advanced to the Davis Cup semifinals by finishing off the Czech Republic on Sunday, but it came about in a way that nobody could have wanted. Czech star Tomas Berdych was forced to retire in the first singles rubber of the day, giving Nikolay Davydenko the win and the clinching third point. With the score reading 6-3, 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-3, 1-2 at the time of the injury, the match was shaping up to be a classic and a Berdych victory would have necessitated a deciding fifth rubber between Marat Safin and Radek Stepanek. Instead, the Russians advanced to take on Argentina in a September semifinal tie.

    It’s a shame such a hotly-contested matchup came to a bitter, premature conclusion. The total points were knotted up at 138 apiece when it ended. Berdych and Davydenko each broke serve just twice over the first four sets, although the players had already traded breaks in the fifth frame. The Czech struck 24 winners compared to 61 unforced errors, however that ratio is not too disappointing when you consider how difficult is to get a ball cleanly past the speedy Russian on a clay court (and Berdych also induced 43 forced errors out of his opponent). Davydenko, meanwhile, had 38 winners and 54 unforced errors.

    It all came to a crashing end at 2-1, deuce in the final set. Berdych tracked down a Davydenko shot that stretched him out wide, and although he managed to get a racket on it, he then went over on his ankle. The Czech was treated for a few minutes in his chair, but it was painfully obvious that he would not be able to continue.

    With the Russians already holding a 2-1 advantage thanks to an epic singles win by Marat Safin over Berdych and a doubles win courtesy of Davydenko and Igor Andreev, Berdych’s retirement signaled the painful end of the Czechs’ Davis Cup road.

    “I have a problem with my ankle, I don't know what it is yet, but I can tell you that it is really painful,” Berdych explained. “I will head back to the Czech Republic to get it looked at further.”

    ”It's not the way I would have wanted to win,” said Davydenko.

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