Novak Djokovic goes through with perfect ease at ATP World Tour Finals

By ELEANOR CROOKS
Published on 10/11/2012 00:00

NOVAK Djokovic made it three wins out of three at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals to qualify for the semi-finals at London’s O2 Arena.

The world No 1 was in impressive form as he saw off Tomas Berdych 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), saving three set points in the second set.

Berdych had beaten Djokovic only once in 11 previous meetings, in the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2010, and he was soon under pressure.

Djokovic’s famed returns were rushing the Czech and, although he clawed his way back from 0-40 in the third game, a fourth chance arrived and the world No 1 took it.

Djokovic, whose best performance at the O2 was a semi-final appearance in 2010, looked extremely sharp and he made it five games in a row before Berdych finally stopped the rot.

The top seed comfortably held to win the set, though, and with that assured himself qualification for the last four.

Djokovic broke again in the third game of the second set but Berdych began to take the fight to his opponent a bit more and hit back to level at 2-2. He then saved more break points to edge ahead in the set.

The Czech made a flying start to the tie-break, winning five of the first six points. But Djokovic saved two set points on his own serve before winning five points in a row for victory.