Tomas Berdych went one step further than girlfriend Lucie Safarova at the Brisbane International after finishing off a thrilling three-set quarterfinal on Friday.
The fourth-seeded Czech qualified for a likely semifinal showdown with top seed Andy Roddick by prevailing 7-6(4) 2-6 7-6(3) over Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci on Friday.
Berdych, ranked No.20 in the world, won a two hour, 42 minute marathon at Pat Rafter Arena, a day after girlfriend Safarova was poised to produce the upset of the women’s tournament.
With Berdych watching in the stands on Thursday night, fellow Czech Safarova stunned top seed Kim Clijsters with a 6-0 second set comeback in their quarterfinal before falling 6-4 in the deciding set.
But her boyfriend wasn’t about to let go of his chance, taking the second of four match points in the third-set tiebreak against the big-serving Bellucci.
Best known for upsetting Roger Federer at the 2004 Athens Olympics, Berdych hadn’t dropped a set in the tournament until the left-handed Brazilian wiped him off the court in the second.
“Yeah well maybe I don’t want to talk too much about that set,” he said. “All the credit to Thomaz because he was playing pretty good.
“I was really fighting and I was quite happy I survived to get that third set. So I’m quite happy today.”
The 24-year-old will play the winner of Friday night’s clash between Roddick and Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the semi-finals on Saturday.
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