Leaving yet another injured player in his wake, tennis ironman Radek Stepanek kept his Brisbane International title defence on track in emphatic fashion on Saturday.
And the second-seeded Czech also kept up his unforgiving stance on “injured” opponents after brushing aside an out-of-sorts Gael Monfils 6-2 6-1 in an hour-long semifinal.
The defending champion will meet the winner of Saturday’s other semifinal between top seed Andy Roddick and fourth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych on Sunday.
World No.12 Stepanek was merciless against Monfils after the third-seeded Frenchman appeared to switch off while nursing a shoulder injury.
At 31, Stepanek is one of the oldest players on tour – and one of the fittest.
So it was no surprise Stepanek wasn’t tolerating any excuses following his semifinal demolition job.
In the previous two rounds, Stepanek all-but rolled his eyes when opponents received treatment on court before having a go at them at the post-match press conference.
While Monfils had his right shoulder strapped, Stepanek preferred to describe his semifinal win as a “mental” victory.
“Everybody has small issues every week and in our first tournament already people are receiving treatment,” Stepanek said.
“But I don’t think anyone I played, it [injury] affected the match.”
“When I broke him [Monfils] to go 4-0 up in the second set … I think he knew breaking me twice to get back into the match would be a very difficult thing.
“I think I also broke him mentally then. Mental toughness – that’s 80 per cent of the game.”
The former world No.8 may have made his professional debut way back in 1996 but he appears to have found a second wind, judging by the glint in his eye ahead of the final.
“I am 31 years young,” he said with a wink.
“I am using my experience against guys who are like 20, that can help me, but it is important to be physically fit.
“I am experienced, physically fit and playing a different game to the others – that is my advantage.”
World No.13 Monfils – eight years younger than Stepanek – said he hoped to be fully fit for the Australian Open.
Asked about the semifinal, a nonchalant Monfils said: “It’s okay, it’s just a match.
“I tried to fight, but then my shoulder was sore.
“And before the match I decided not to kill my shoulder, I have a goal in one week’s time [Australian Open].
“But Radek deserved to win.”
Monfils said he would decide in the “next few days” whether to contest next week’s Sydney International, where he has a first-round bye.
“It has been 10 days of pain now,” Monfils said.
“Maybe I need two or three days off without tennis, hopefully it will be much better.”
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