Berdych stayed in total control as he swept to his ninth straight Rotterdam victory, losing only one point on first serve. PHOTO: AFP
The rout, which took the Czech third seed into Sunday’s final, lasted just 56 minutes.
Berdych, now coached by Andy Murray cast-off Dani Vallverdu, said that he and his Venezuelan coach have been concentrating on strategy. “We are focusing a lot more on game plans than I have done in the past,” said Berdych, who has never defended an ATP title.
“We’ve only had a few weeks together, but we have been able to implement a lot into my game.”
Berdych stayed in total control as he swept to his ninth straight Rotterdam victory, losing only one point on first serve.
He kept Simon on the back foot throughout the brief contest, with the eighth seed barely recognisable as the man who upset top seed Murray 24 hours earlier.
“It’s good not to find anything wrong with your game,” said a satisfied Berdych. “It was a really good match, solid from the beginning.
“And it all started with the right game plan. I felt very good on court, it was all positive for me. I was able to add something to my game.”
Berdych, who trailed Simon 3-6 coming into the match, said: “I did many things differently today compared to our last matches, this result is clear proof.
“I’m happy with how I handled it, with just the right amount of patience and choosing the right shots in the right moment.”
Berdych won the opening set in 32 minutes with two breaks of Simon’s serve and then picked up the pace as he hurtled to victory, advancing to the final on the first of three match points.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2015.
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