Tipsarevic v Berdych play news

Berdych 2-6 3-3 Tipsarevic

Berdych strangles a forehand about eight feet long and buries a forehand volley into the net to slip 30-0 adrift. Plenty of grimaces from the Czech. No sign of him regaining his, ahem, bounce as Tipsarevic polishes off the next points as well. Janko has dropped just two points on his serve so far this set. And my puns are done you will be relieved to read.

Berdych 2-6 3-2 Tipsarevic

Berdych looks poised to match Tipsarevic's clean sweep of the previous game before Janko hits an arcing forehand return millimetres over the tape to get to 40-15. Another pearler off the forehand wing from Janko and suddenly this could turn interesting. But Berdych pinches off his opponent's burgeoning enthusiasm for the fight with a clean winner which trims the whitewash.

Berdych 2-6 2-2 Tipsarevic

Tipsarevic shows he can do a decent impression of a big serve-volleyer despite his relative lack of height. His serve spits out wide to stretch Berdych before he pings a backhand away into the wide open court. The game is all wrapped up to love without Berdych laying any leather on him at all.

Berdych 2-6 2-1 Tipsarevic

Tipsarevic slugs away to 30-30, but Berdych ups the power to shake him off. A high-kicking second serve and then a wrong-footing forehand seals the game and keeps it even stevens. Or is it Stephens.

Berdych 2-6 1-1 Tipsarevic

Berdych finds a sweet, low angle over the net and, after getting an erroneous call overturned, moves 15-30 up. Tipsarevic smears one across the line to match him and level up. Berdych then fluffs a straightforward chance to force the break point in the next rally and Tipsarevic sneaks home. Bit of a let-off there for the Serb in a much more even start to the second.

Berdych 2-6 1-0 Tipsarevic

Berdych looks relived to have left the 39 minutes of that opener behind him. A spicy ace move him to 40-0. Tipsarevic swats down an attempted lob in the next point, but Berdych rushes the net behind a precise forehand and hammers away a drive volley to make the first impression on the second-set scoreboard.

Berdych 2-6 Tipsarevic

A sudden and unexpected wobble from Tipsarevic who hands Berdych three break points. The Serb saves the first with a bold second serve and Berdych, not always the toughest customer in the top two inches, dumps a backhand and forehand into the net to allow his opponent to wriggle off the hook. Repreived, Tipsarevic makes short work of the game from deuce, walloping down an ace to seal the first set.

Berdych 2-5 Tipsarevic

Berdych is playing like a man who is trying to work out if he left the gas on at home. Tipsarevic's groundstrokes are getting right up his nose as he struggles to find the rhythm that has unsettled so many of the players above him in the rankings. He concedes two points but takes the set to at least another game with his first ace of the contest.

Berdych 1-5 Tipsarevic

Four straight points rattle off the racket of Tipsarevic to tie up another service game and deny Berdych even a sniff of a fightback.

Berdych 1-4 Tipsarevic

Tipsarevic topples the Berdych serve once more. The rangy Czech at the opposite end is landing just a quarter of his first serves and and coughs up a break point. It looks like Berdych has saved it as he scrapes back a superb backhand to the surprise of Tipsarevic. The Serb pops up a bit of a dolly mid-court ball, but Berdych blazes long on a regulation forehand and it is another break for Janko.

Berdych 1-3 Tipsarevic

The line judge who survived a frankly formidable blast from Serena Williams in the 2009 US Open makes a cameo apperance, wrongly ruling a Tipsarevic serve long at 40-0. Hawkeye gives the Serb another pop at it and he isn't held up for long as he serve out with aplomb.

Berdych 1-2 Tipsarevic

Tipsarevic toys with Berdych, dragging him left and right, before advancing into a cushioned forehand volley that moves him to 0-30. Berdych senses the danger, 3-0 down might be irretrievable, and clambers back to 40-30. He duly goes on to claim his first game of the match from deuce.

Berdych 0-2 Tipsarevic

He isn't the most elegant of ball-strikers, shuffling his squat frame into position before whipping his arms through, but Tipsarevic's groundstrokes are proving impossible for Berdych to latch onto. The Serb holds for the loss of a single point to consolidate his lead.

Berdych 0-1 Tipsarevic

Tipsarevic flies out of the traps. The Serb ratchets up his forehand to move to 0-30. Berdych then slaps a simple volley straight into the net to hand Tipsarevic three break points. The first is back in the bag with a big serve, but Tipsarevic is giving it some serious clout with his double-handed backhand and Berdych folds, flopping into the net to surrender the first game and the break.

Denotes next server

1415: However, Tomas Berdych has also hit a run of form late in the year. He fell to eventual winner Roger Federer last time out in Paris, knocking out both Tipsarevic and Murray en route to the semi-finals, and has been swinging those elastic limbs long and hard so far in London. We are ready for the off...

1413: Tipsarevic also has a quote from Russian novellist Fyodor Dostoevsky - "Beauty will save the world" 

1405: The 27-year-old has surged through the latter half of the year, rising 20 ranking places since Wimbledon with a run to the last four in Montreal, the last eight of the US Open and his first two titles in Kuala Lumpur and Moscow. He also has a more-than-useful record against Berdych - four victories in their previous five meetings.

1400: After Andy Murray's ATP World Tour Finals campaign fell victim to a twitchy groin, it makes sense to throw your support behind the man who steps off the sidelines to replace him. That's how the first goalscorer sweepstake works in my social cicrcle anyway. So let's learn a little bit more about Janko Tipsarevic ahead of his match against Tomas Berdych.