Novak
Djokovic will meet Tomas Berdych in the first semi-final of Monte-Carlo Rolex
Masters today. It is difficult to remember when Berdych defeated Djokovic last.
They both play similar game, only Djokovic plays it a bit better. They have
never met on clay. Djokovic leads head-to-head encounters 8-1.
Berdych
tends to shrink when he sees Djokovic across the net. His serves desert him. He
is able to put only half of his first serves in. He trails Djokovic in the
number of aces. On top of that, he commits double faults. However, that is in
the past. In the quarterfinals, he has defeated Andy Murray, who was playing
under the watchful eyes of Ivan Lendl. It was a convincing win, since not many
are able to pierce through the defences of Murray. Djokovic is in good form.
The only set he has lost was to Alexandr Dolgopolov. Dolgopolov can be a bad
match up for anybody. His unpredictable shots and unorthodox style of play consumes
time to become familiar with his game. Berdych is not that difficult a match up
for Djokovic. He is not that great a mover and here itself half the advantage
is conceded. He has powerful shots, but with the court coverage of Djokovic, he
has to go for the lines and that makes him hit beyond many a time. He does not
possess as good a defence. Djokovic is equally good in attack and defence.
It
will be interesting to see what strategy Berdych brings to the court today. If
that strategy fails, whether he has brought a plan B. Djokovic will play his
usual game. He is the overwhelming favourite to reach the finals, unless Berdych
plays much above his capability.
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