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April 19, 2015

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Berdych bursts Monfils bubble

TOMAS Berdych deflated the Monte Carlo Masters finals dream of Gael Monfils as he posted a 6-1, 6-4 semifinal win yesterday in just over an hour.

Monfils showed little of the surprising form that took him to upset wins against second seed Roger Federer and Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.

Instead, the Frenchman had 23 unforced errors and lost serve four times.

The first set was a command performance for Berdych, the Czech emerged with the 2-1 lead as the second set began with three straight breaks and took victory in 68 minutes.

Berdych will be playing in his third final of the season after losing title bids in Doha and Rotterdam.

The sixth seed will today face the winner from former champions Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, meeting later for a record 43rd time.

Berdych will be competing in a fourth career Masters 1000 final and first since losing to Federer in Madrid three years ago.

“I’m really glad to be in this final,” said Berdych, who kept Monfils from becoming the first Frenchman into the final in the principality since Cedric Pioline, a champion a decade and a half ago.

“My serve was working well and was key for me. I’m so happy to have won, this is something that I’ve always had in my mind at this event.”




 

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