Tomas Berdych’s quest for a first-ever Grand Slam title is still very much alive after a commanding straight-sets victory over his rival Rafael Nadal. The path to the championship won’t get any easier for the Czech star however, as standing in his way in the semifinals is British star Andy Murray who broke Australian hearts with an emphatic victory over 19-year-old Nick Kyrgios in the quarterfinals.
Read on for a complete preview of this mouth-watering semifinal showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the women’s semifinal between Maria Sharapova and Ekaterina Makarova here.
Tomas Berdych ended his 17-match losing run against world no. 3 Rafael Nadal, stunning the Spaniard 6-2, 6-0, 7-5, to book a spot in the 2015 Australian Open semifinals. It was a masterful display from the Czech star whose last win against Nadal came eight years ago.
[sc:Other240banner ]Berdych played some flawless tennis against Nadal, hitting 46 winners and making just 21 unforced errors. He also blasted 10 aces with no double faults. Nadal, on the other hand, struggled with his game, finishing with just 24 winners as opposed to his 26 unforced errors.
Berdych’s victory paves the way for an intriguing clash with British star Andy Murray in the next round. Murray fired his long-time coach and hitting partner Dani Vallverdu after the 2014 season over tension with his hiring of Amelie Mauresmo.
Vallverdu didn’t have to wait long enough for another job, though, as Berdych instantly hired him to be his new coach. Based on his performances so far in the Australian Open, that decision couldn’t have gone any better for Berdych. Through five matches thus far in this tournament, Berdych has yet to lose a single set.
Key to Berdych’s success is his impressive service game particularly on his first serve. He has won 215 of his 258 first serves for an 83 percent clip, fifth-best at the Australian Open.
Berdych will fancy his chances of reaching his second grand slam final as he holds the edge in his head-to-head battles with Murray. The two have faced each other 10 times with Berdych winning six of those encounters.
In fact, the seventh-seeded Berdych has won his last two meetings with Murray. His last victory over the 2013 Wimbledon champion came in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Masters last year where he beat Murray in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
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Betting on Andy Murray
Andy Murray ended the fairy tale run of Nick Kyrgios, beating the Australian phenom in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 to reach his fifth semifinal in 10 visits to the Australian Open. In front of a packed and partisan crowd, Murray needed his best tennis to handle not only Kyrgios but the tough and tricky conditions at Rod Laver Arena as well.
With the wind playing a major factor in the match, Murray used his veteran smarts to outwit the teenage star. The Briton employed his slice to perfection negating the Australian’s heavy groundstrokes. As a result, Murray committed just 28 unforced errors compared to Kyrgios’ 38. Murray also had 46 winners as opposed to Kyrgios’ 26.
A tougher test awaits Murray in the semifinals, however, where he will face the big-serving Tomas Berdych. It’s crucial for Murray to take advantage of his break opportunities when facing the Czech star. Although he dominated Kyrgios in their quarterfinal clash, Murray had difficulty converting his break chances, going just 3 of 9 in break point opportunities in the quarterfinals.
That’s quite surprising considering Murray leads the tournament in break points won with 28 to his name thus far. It’s paramount for Murray to convert on the break chances he will get against Berdych who’s serving incredibly well in the event right now. The Czech star is eighth in the tournament in aces hit, blasting 63 thus far.
Although Berdych holds a 6-4 edge in their head-to-head encounters, Murray will be buoyed by the fact that they are tied when it comes to their meetings in hard surfaces. Murray and Berdych have three wins apiece in their six hard court meetings.
They have already faced each other once before in a grand slam semifinal, at the 2012 US Open. Murray emerged victorious in four tough sets, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (7). The main difference in that match was in the unforced errors department where Berdych committed a whopping 64 miscues as opposed to Murray’s 20.
