Dark horse could C
‘The possibility to w to prepare as I prep p World No 1 Novak Djokovic, right, on n Tomas Berdych is as likely as any to break the holy trinity of men’s tennis, reports Neil Harman. I see it realistica at Wimbledon. W really my best tennis, grass for me r
IT is a quarter of a century since a man born in the Czech Republic won the French Open singles title. Tomas Berdych was one at the time and, boy, how he has grown into the man considered most likely to shake up the present order of things.
While it has become more difficult with each passing tournament to see anyone other than the trinity that bestrides the men’s game – Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer – lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires on Monday fortnight, it should be noted that the man with the fifth-finest clay-court record this year has nestled into an exhilarating vein of form. In all the musings about who you would not want to play at Roland Garros, avoiding Berdych is a common desire.
In the aptly named Power Horse World Team Cup in Dusseldorf last week, he continued to perform like a thoroughbred. Standing 1.96cm and packing plenty of muscle in his 90kg, the world No 7 ran Nadal as close as anyone last week in Rome, led Federer by a set in the final in Madrid and was just edged out by Djokovic in the semifinals in Monte Carlo. Here is a man approaching the prime of his form.
That last Czech-born winner was Ivan Lendl, who is on Britain’s side now but with more than half an eye on the progress of his fellow countryman. He sends Berdych encouraging texts and they have a fierce mutual regard. Few in the game have been more fascinated at Lendl’s decision to coach Andy Murray than the only other player he might have considered coming back to the game for.
‘‘I have thought why did Lendl need to do it, he has done so much