Tomas Berdych storms into quarters

Czech third seed up against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in top of the table clash

Tomas Berdych stormed into the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship quarter-finals with a crushing 6-2, 6-1 demolition job on Sergiy Stakhovsky on Centre Court here on Wednesday afternoon. The Czech third seed swept aside his Ukrainian opponent in just 57 minutes, with five breaks of service to Stakhovsky’s one overall.

He has then lost just 10 games in four sets, but — ominously for his next opponent Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the rest of the competition in the field — Berdych feels he hasn’t yet hit top gear here.

“There is still a lot to improve for me to do better,” the 2013 DDFTC runner-up said. “It’s day by day. I’ve managed to get through just getting used to the conditions and playing well and that’s it. Today (Wednesday), I was working a little more on my return stats than on my service stats.

“The main focus really for the next few days is to get my percentage of the first serve back and really find a nice and sweet rhythm for my serve. Other than that, I think it’s (his game) is quite solid.”

On his forthcoming match-up with Tsonga for a place in the semis against either Philipp Kohlschreiber or Malek Jaziri, Berdych added: “He’s a very tough opponent. He’s a really solid, established player from the top 10. He really likes these very fast conditions. It’s something that really suits his game and he can bring the best. All of the matches that we have played were very close and it’s always a big battle. I’m really looking forward to that match.”

Tsonga progressed through to the next phase without a single swing of his racquet in anger as Russian Nikolay Davydenko withdrew from their clash with a rib injury. Earlier, Tunisian wildcard Jaziri sealed a last-eight tussle against German seventh seed Kohlschreiber with a 6-3, 7-5 win over a fellow invitee, Somdev Devvarman, of India.

Jaziri broke Devvarman’s serve twice in the first set — in the third and ninth game — while holding all four of his own service games.

Devvarman rallied thereafter in the second, snaring two service breaks to Jaziri’s one to lead 4-2.

Nonetheless, Jaziri claimed five of the next six games — including two further breaks of serve — to close it out convincingly. “I’ve had two days of tough matches,” said Jaziri, who will play Kohlschreiber after the latter beat Italy’s Andreas Seppi in straight sets 6-3, 6-3.

“I was a little bit afraid if I would be ready physically for the duration of this match. The weather was a little bit hot too. I’m very happy to win today (Wednesday). I’m in the quarter-finals, so I’m very happy and I will try to recover as best as I can to be ready for tomorrow (Thursday).

“I have a lot of confidence and I’m more confident now. I will just try to focus on my game and myself. I hope I’ll be ready.”

Elsewhere, on the opposite side of the draw, Lukas Rosol will play Switzerland’s Roger Federer or Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic having defeated Russian eighth seed Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) on Court Three.

Mikhail Youzhny — a 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) victor over British wildcard James Ward — meanwhile shall meet the winner of Wednesday’s second evening match between defending DDFTC champion Novak Djokovic and Roberto Bautista-Agut from Spain.