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2/23/11 3:09 PM | Ricky Dimon
Tomas Berdych beats Nikolay Davydenko for the second time in 11 tries on Wednesday in Dubai. Berdych advances to the quarterfinals to face Philipp Petzschner.
Tomas Berdych reached the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with a 6-3, 7-6(5) victory over Nikolay Davydenko on Wednesday afternoon. Berdych needed one hour and 43 minutes to improve his still-dismal record against Davydenko to 2-9.
The seventh-ranked Czech had the clear edge in current form heading into this showdown, and it showed early. He donated his own serve once in the opening set mainly because he connected on only 46 percent of his first deliveries, but he more than made up for it with his all-court game. Berdych earned two breaks of his own and that allowed him to finish off the set on serve at 5-3.
Davydenko raised his level throughout a back-and-forth second set. The unseeded Russian held en route to a 5-4 advantage and had two set points against his opponent's serve, but Berdych survived for 5-5. Berdych immediately broke to give himself a chance to serve out the match, but he promptly crumbled under the pressure and was pushed to a tiebreaker.
Despite the disappointment, Dubai's No. 3 seed struck for a mini-break at 2-2 and eventually raced to a 5-2 lead in the decider. Davydenko, though, stormed back to 5-5 before just barely missing a forehand to give Berdych a match point. The world No. 39 delivered a first serve at 5-6, but a furious baseline rally ensued and it ended with Davydenko sending a backhand just inches wide.
Davydenko finished with one ace and two double-faults while winning only 40 percent of his second-serve points. Berdych wrapped up his effort with three aces and two double-faults and he fought off six of eight break points.
Next up for Berdych is Philipp Petzschner, who took out fellow German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-0, 4-6, 6-2.
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