Novak Djokovic faces Tomas Berdych for a
spot in the semi-finals of the Australian Open 2013. Djokovic is coming off a
huge confidence boasting win over Wawrinka in the 4th set. Djokovic won 12-10
in the final set.
Berdych had a confidence boasting win of his own over Anderson when he won the 3rd set tie-break 15-13 to clinch the match.
 |
| Image via optimumtennis.co.uk |
Djokovic and Berdych have faced each other
12 times, with Djokovic winning 11 of those encounters. One of Berdych's 11
defeats, one came at the same stage in 2011 when Djokovic went on to win the title.
Berdych has made it to the quarter-finals
of the Australian Open for the 3rd straight year. He has been playing well so
far, but he might have his work cut out against the world no.1 Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic is one of the fittest players on
tour, but he might be facing the after effects of his epic win over Wawrinka in
the 4th round, and if that is the case, Berdych will have to capitalise on it.
Let us have a look at the performance of
the players so far in the tournaments.
The stats used have been average stats for
the 4 matches played by players so far in the tournament.
| Description | Djokovic | Berdych |
| Aces | 8 | 8 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 2 |
| 1st Serve %age | 67% | 57% |
| 1st serve points won | 79% | 79% |
| 2nd serve points won | 64% | 59% |
| Net points won | 71% | 69% |
| Break points won | 43% | 44% |
| 1st serve return won | 33% | 37% |
| 2nd serve return won | 55% | 63% |
| Winners | 39 | 35 |
| Unforced Errors | 29 | 27 |
The stats favour Djokovic, but the match
might come down to the 3 main things.
Serve: Djokovic's serve looked vulnerable
in his match against Wawrinka, and if it does look the same he might be in
trouble again. Djokovic has been broken 7 times so far, while Berdych has been
broken 5 times. Berdych will have to up his first serve percentage if he is to
have a chance against Djokovic.
 |
| Image via Getty Images |
Break Points Conversion : What failed
Wawrinka, despite playing better for most part of the match was his failure to
convert on the break point chances he got against Djokovic. Berdych must learn
the lesson from Wawrinka if he is to win, or he will be going home soon.
Djokovic will not want to have another marathon match and will try to save as
much energy as possible, so it will be important for him to capitalise on any
break point chances he gets.
Return of Serve : The player who takes more
chances and stays aggressive will have an advantage. Balanced aggression will
win the match, however going for extra may cost either player.
We all know that Berdych lets the nerves
get the better of him, and if he looses a close set, he collapses after that.
Berdych will have to come out firing all cylinders and will have to stay
mentally strong if he is to win this match and make it to the semi-finals of
Australian Open for the first time in his career.
Djokovic will be hoping for an easy match
to conserve energy, and will try to shorten the points. If Djokovic overdoes
this, he may start making unforced errors. He will have to find his range and
settle in from the start.
Pick : Djokovic in 5 sets
No comments:
Post a Comment