Tomas Berdych.net

AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships 2008
Tokyo, Japan
September 29-October 5, 2008
48 Draw - $869,000
Surface – Hard

Website:     aigopen.jp

      The Seeds

Seeds: (cut: Joseph Sirianni - 149)
1. David Ferrer
2. Andy Roddick
3. Fernando Gonzalez
4. Richard Gasquet
5. Juan Martin del Potro
6. Tommy Robredo
7. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
8. Mikhail Youzhny
9. Tomas Berdych
10. Gael Monfils   WD
11. Jarkko Nieminen
12. Rainer Schuettler
13. Samuel Querrey
14. Jurgen Melzer
15. Simone Bolelli
16. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez

      The Main Draw

(1)David Ferrer (ESP) bye
Jesse Levine (USA) vs (q)Danai Udomchoke (THA)
(WC)Takao Suzuki (JPN) vs (WC)Yuichi Sugita (JPN)
(15)Simone Bolelli (ITA) bye

(11)Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) bye
(q)Cecil Mamiit (PHI) vs (LL)Brendan Evans (USA)
Dudi Sela (ISR) vs Bjorn Phau (GER)
(5)Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) bye

(4)Richard Gasquet (FRA) bye
Donald Young (USA) vs (q)Martin Slanar (AUT)
Kei Nishikori (JPN) vs Robert Kendrick (USA)
(16)Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) bye

(12)Rainer Schuettler (GER) bye
Hyung-Taik Lee (KOR) vs (WC)Satoshi Iwabuchi (JPN)
Flavio Cipolla (ITA) vs Ivan Navarro-Pastor (ESP)
(8)Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) bye

(6)Tommy Robredo (ESP) bye
Joseph Sirianni (AUS) vs (q)Yuichi Ito (JPN)
Roko Karanusic (CRO) vs (q)Hiroki Kondo (JPN)
(9)Tomas Berdych (CZE) bye

(13)Samuel Querrey (USA) bye
Amer Delic (USA) vs Go Soeda (JPN)
Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) vs (q)Luka Gregorc (SLO)
(3)Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) bye

(7)Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) bye
Bobby Reynolds (USA) vs (WC)Tatsuma Ito (JPN)
Wayne Odesnik (USA) vs Kevin Kim (USA)
Viktor Troicki (SRB) bye

(14)Jurgen Melzer (AUT) bye
Simon Stadler (GER) vs Philipp Petzschner (GER)
Ivo Minar (CZE) vs Michael Zverev (GER)
(2)Andy Roddick (USA) bye

      Round 1 = bye ---- Round 2: Berdych vs Karanusic

Wednesday, 1st October 2008 on Court 1

Tomas Berdych (CZE) def. Roko Karanusic (CRO) 6-3, 6-4

     Round 3: Berdych vs Robredo

Thursday, 2nd October 2008 on Court 1

Tomas Berdych (CZE) def. Tommy Robredo (ESP) 7-6(6), 6-2

Czech No. 9 seed Tomas Berdych avenged his loss in the Bastad final by defeating sixth-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo 7-6(6), 6-2 in one hour and 25 minutes. Berdych, a semifinalist last week in Bangkok (l. to Djokovic), will be looking to reach the Tokyo semifinals for the second straight year (l. to Gasquet) when he faces No. 3 seed Fernando Gonzalez (d. Amer Delic).

     Autograph session on Thursday, October 2, 2008

Tomas Berdych of Czech shakes hands with his fan
on day four of the AIG Japan Open Tennis Championship 2008
at Ariake Colosseum on October 2, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan.
(Photo by Junko Kimura/Getty Images)

     Quarter-Final: Berdych vs Gonzalez

Friday, 3rd October 2008 on Center Court

Tomas Berdych (CZE) def. Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) 6-0, 6-4 

Ninth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych will meet Roddick in the semifinals, after the 23-year-old defeated No. 3 seed Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-0, 6-4 in just 62 minutes. Gonzalez, who started the week at No. 11 in the ATP 2008 Race, won just nine of 35 points in a one-sided first set. It was Berdych's second win over Gonzalez this year (also ATP Masters Series Cincinnati) in the pair's fifth career meeting. Monte-Carlo resident Berdych improved to 30-19 (20-11 on hard courts) this year, while this season's two-time ATP titlist and Beijing Olympics silver medalist Gonzalez dropped to a 37-13 mark

     Semi-Final: Berdych vs Roddick 

Saturday, 4th October 2008 on Center Court

Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs Andy Roddick (USA)

      Berdych Fights Into Tokyo Final

Tomas Berdych came back from the brink to defeat second-seeded American Andy Roddick 6-7(3), 7-5, 7-6(3).

Berdych endured 25 aces from Roddick and won one point less in total than the Texas resident, but was able to recover from a 3-5 deficit in the third set, with Roddick serving for the match, to win after 2 hr., 13 min., and level his head-to-head with Roddick at 2-2.

World No. 27 Berdych, who fired 17 aces of his own in the encounter, is through to the Tokyo final for the first time after falling in the semifinals last year (l. to Gasquet). He now improves to a 7-2 tournament record.

The No. 1 Czech player is bidding for his first ATP title since capturing his third crown at 2007 Halle (d. Baghdatis). He stands at 31-19 for the season, highlighted by reaching the Bastad final (l. to Robredo) and making semifinal exits at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami (l. to Nadal) and last week in Bangkok (l. to Djokovic).

The right-hander has an outside chance of qualifying for Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai for the first time. He started the week at No. 29 in the ATP 2008 Race, with 176 points. He is 133 points behind No. 8 James Blake.

      Final: Berdych vs Del Potro 

Sunday, 5th October 2008 on Center Court

Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG)

       Tomas Berdych  in action against Juan Martin Del Potro             SEE PHOTO    

        Berdych Downs Del Potro To Win Tokyo Title 

Czech No. 9 seed Tomas Berdych dismissed Juan Martin del Potro 6-1, 6-4 in the final of the AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo on Sunday to capture his fourth ATP title and first on hard court.

Having started the week at No. 29 in the ATP 2008 Race, Berdych has an outside chance of qualifying for Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai for the first time; he is 133 points behind No. 8 James Blake.

Berdych, who is currently ranked No. 27, is a former Top 10 player, peaking at No. 9 on August 20, 2007.

In a dominant display by the top Czech player, Berdych fired 11 aces, converted three of eight break points and defended all three against him in the 1 hr., 17 min., encounter.

In the semifinals, he came back from the brink of defeat against No. 2 seed Andy Roddick, who led 5-2 in the third set and served for the match at 5-3 before Berdych fought back to claim victory. Other seeded players to fall victim to the right-hander this week are No. 9 Tommy Robredo and No. 3 Fernando Gonzalez.

The 23-year-old Berdych, who has now won 13 of his past 16 matches against Argentine opponents, was contesting his second ATP final of the season after finishing runner-up to Tommy Robredo in Bastad in July. The title is his first since 2007 Halle (d. Baghdatis) and his fourth overall as he takes his lifetime record in ATP finals to 4-4. His only previous hard court final came at 2006 Mumbai, when he lost out to Dmitry Tursunov.

The Monte-Carlo resident has now compiled a 32-19 season match record (22-11 on hard court), which includes reaching the semifinals at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami (l. to Nadal) and last week in Bangkok (l. to Djokovic).

      Tomas Berdych  during the trophy ceremony Tokyo 2008               SEE PHOTO