Miami, March 31 (DPA) Tomas Berdych stunned top seed Roger Federer 6-4, 6-7(3), 7-6 (6) in a dramatic struggle in the fourth round of the Miami Masters tennis.
The Czech Tuesday knocked off Federer for the first time since a win at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, with Federer claiming their next eight matches, including a tight battle at the Australian Open in January.
World number one Federer was unable to convert a match point in the final-set tiebreaker, obtained when a Berdych return was ruled out by electronic scoring.
A pair of forehand winners got the 16th seed out of trouble, with Federer plowing a return long on Berdych’s match point to hand over the victory after almost three hours.
Federer is leaving the US spring hardcourts on a low note, with losses at the Indian Wells third round and the fourth round in Florida.
Berdych, ranked 20th, came through with 26 winners and 45 unforced errors to stand 2-8 in the series.
The result leaves number four Rafael Nadal as the leading seed standing at the event.
Nadal survived a stormy, 67-minute first set, duelling with fellow Spaniard David Ferrer before breaking away for a 7-6(5), 6-4 victory into the quarter-finals.
Nadal, who will move back to third in the world Monday ahead of Andy Murray, found himself in a shot-making duel with Ferrer, a friend who knows all facets of Nadal’s big game.
Nadal needed every bit of his skill to improve his record in the demanding series to 9-3.
The pair were playing for the first time since Canada last August, when Nadal retired in the first set after seven games with knee pain.
Nadal is keen to go beyond his career best in Miami, where he placed runner-up in 2005 and 2008. The four-time French Open champion is looking for his first title since Rome 10 months ago.
“It was a match of highs and lows,” Nadal said. “I started the second set well then played the next three games poorly, but I accepted it and kept working and waiting for my opportunity.”
Andy Roddick, the 2004 champion, brought back winning memories as the former Floridian rallied from the brink in the first set to overhaul German Benjamin Becker 7-6(4), 6-3.
The sixth seed was trailing 1-4 at 0-40 when he suddenly got back into the contest, slowly reversing the momentum to grind out victory.
His reward will be a match against Spain’s Nicolas Almagro, winner over Brazilian Tomaz Bellucci 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3).
Roddick blamed a slow start for falling behind Becker.
“He came out aggressive and ready to play from the first ball,” Roddick said. “I was maybe looking to work my way into the match a little bit more than he afforded me. He was more ready to play than I was.”
Swedish fifth seed Robin Soderling came through another battle, swamping Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez in the first set but needing to go the distance to complete victory 6-0, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2.
French eighth seed Jo Wilfried Tsonga ran over Spain’s number 12 Juan Carlos Ferrero, while 13th seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny advanced 6-1, 1-0 when Mardy Fish retired after 55 minutes with back pain.
Three-time women’s champion Venus Williams assured herself of a return to the world number-three ranking after defeating Poland’s sixth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 6-1 in their quarter-final.
France’s Marion Bartoli put out Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 7-5.
Williams, who last won the Miami title in 2001, is now riding a 14-match win streak dating back to titles last month in Dubai and Acapulco.
rounak