AO Men's Semi-final - Berdych Vs Wawrinka

Should have it's own thread I think

1-1 atm

Go Stan Go, explode him like a cheap Czech lager keg.

Stan breaks, 5:3 to serve for the set, go Stannnnnnnnnnnn

6;3 first set Stan.

Come on Stan!!

Please let's have an all swiss final. I will certainly find it difficult to watch a final with boring boom boom Berdych in it!!

You sometimes scratch your head as to wear Stan has been for the last 5 years. I mean some of his play, is the best in the game

Love his variety - great to see this play that he Roger and Andy give us

I remember years ago saying that he was the best player outside the big 4 and that he should be permanetly in the Top 6. Only to be laughed at!! Glad to see it looks like coming true

I'd like to see Wawrinka get through too and spend a while outside Federer's shadow. Berdych I find annoying, I think he should have done a bit more in his career and I don't want to see him get to the final at Stan's expense.

Oh yeah, double swiss chocolate final would be a dream.

barrystar wrote:Berdych I find annoying, I think he should have done a bit more in his career

I try and stop myself feeling irritated by Berdych as I hate the idea of not liking someone I don't know (it's immature) and let's be honest Murray's body language / demeanour can be just as bad

But at least with Murray it's because he's failed with some outrageous shot, that he'd no right to be able to attempt, let alone achieve

Berdy brings nothing new. Every Slam I think to myself surely he's now added a bit of variety - but no he just does the same thing all the time

Actually, he's a great barometer of how good the quality of his rivals are at any given, simply because he still plays in the same way as he did in 2010

You have to admire his consistent power game, but that's it for me

It would be hard to begrudge berdych making the final, he has been very consistent at the slams and had more wins than most against the big 4 at the slams.

I would prefer stan to win but would be happy for berdych too. Would berdych not be the more likely thread to nadal, wawrinka has never even taken a set from rafa. That is assuming rafa beats fed which is more likely

Everytime i see Berdy, i get reminded of Soderling which I miss a lot

Berdy is a arrogant little crow.

banbrotam wrote:

barrystar wrote:Berdych I find annoying, I think he should have done a bit more in his career

I try and stop myself feeling irritated by Berdych as I hate the idea of not liking someone I don't know (it's immature) and let's be honest Murray's body language / demeanour can be just as bad

But at least with Murray it's because he's failed with some outrageous shot, that he'd no right to be able to attempt, let alone achieve

Berdy brings nothing new. Every Slam I think to myself surely he's now added a bit of variety - but no he just does the same thing all the time

Actually, he's a great barometer of how good the quality of his rivals are at any given, simply because he still plays in the same way as he did in 2010

You have to admire his consistent power game, but that's it for me

Quite - I have no feeling about him, or indeed any of them, as a person. It's only about what we see on Court that informs my views. As you say, it's the absence of variety despite the fact that Berdych must know that his play can get him so far and no further in the big draws; you kind of want to see him striving to break through the glass ceiling he's been under for all that time - he's 28, he won his first (and only) Masters in 2005 and has been a top 10 player for near on 4 years, but neither achievement has been a platform to go on to greater things. Wawrinka may have under-performed, but at least gives the impression of trying to improve himself and move up.

BTW - I'll look like an Ass if Berdych wins and achieves his breakthrough on Sunday!

I said it yesterday and will say it again I have a sneaky to strong feeling Berdych will win this.

I do recall also saying earlier in the week that wawrinka and berdych could well cause an upset against djokovic. Wawrinka was an obvious choice as he has consistently improved over the past year but berdych was really comfortable coming through his draw.

The win for either player today could really be the making of them even if a little later than expected in their careers.

Would be amazing to see wawrinka beat federer in the final, having played in his shadow his whole career

Just to add I would much sooner see Stan win but it has the hallmarks of a player not being able to raise themselves to a high standard immediately after the biggest win of his career.

There will be more posts than on this thread by this stage in tomorrow's SF, that's for sure.

By the way did wawrinka always have such a big serve? Don't remember it being such a weapon in the past, he is getting a lot of free points off it over the past year. Looking at stats today he is not far behind big berd in the ace count and 1st / 2nd serve speed

Come on Stan, finish it in 4. Fed awaits in final and an extra day rest before the final, is a good bonus.

slashermcguirk wrote:By the way did wawrinka always have such a big serve? Don't remember it being such a weapon in the past, he is getting a lot of free points off it over the past year. Looking at stats today he is not far behind big berd in the ace count and 1st / 2nd serve speed

Yes - it's a big weapon today. Stan's only faced one bp which he won, and he's broken Berdych only once. It's obviously a hellish tight match with very evenly matched stats. It's quite possible they'll grind their way to a third successive tb.

132 points all!! Doesn't get much closer than that :-)

Come on Stan, close it nowwwwwwwwwww

Yesssssssssssssss STan does itttttttttttttttttttt

Take a bow stan the man!   

Very glad for Wawrinka. Kept his Nerve. Hat-off to Magnus as well.

It is normal for you [Federer], but first time for me - Poignant, but he is slowly emerging from the shadow of his peer.

I want Fed to win the Final, but if Stan does, I will be equally pleased

Nice to see a new face in a slam final. Stan's worked really hard over the last 2 or 3 years and it's paid dividends.

If Nadal's at all off colour at the French, I would now put Stan as clear second favourite

After all the dirt, is probably his favourite surface

i.e. US Open Semi, Aus Open F (I think he will lose), French Open Winner ???!!!!!

Amen!!!

JuliusHMarx wrote:Nice to see a new face in a slam final. Stan's worked really hard over the last 2 or 3 years and it's paid dividends.

Berdych (2010), Tsonga (2008), Del Potro (2009), Ferrer (2013), Djokovic (2008), Murray (2012) quite a few over the last few years.

(Wee Keira has been discarded ).

Well done Stan! Think he has a chance against Fed in the final, so let's see what happens. Can't see him reversing the trend vs Rafa but Fed could and then I like the all Swiss final. At least Berdy can't win any more, not a fan

Extra motivation for Fed against Nadal.

Pleased that I was wrong and that Stan won. Through to his first slam final - a momentus occasion for him. Fingers crossed he can do himself justice.

Just caught a few highlights when I got home. Looked like a close match, kudos to Stan...well deserved after many years of hard graft. Nice interview, too!

Good response from Berdych at the net, a good tournament for him overall.

Well done Stan the Man. I'd love to see him lift the title on Sunday in straight sets against his good "mate" Roger.

Re Berdych: The most one dimensional player the game has ever seen? (I include Ferrer in that)

I've just watched highlights of the match and the thing that stands out most to be is that Stan looks fairly in-shape. I used to call him "Fat Stan" but he's looking pretty solid now. You can see in his face he's shifted some weight and looks much better for it. Norman has done a top job there.

Stan has improved his fitness, his return of serve, his movement, and his confidence. All these factors are interrelated as well. I would like to see him win the semi. I really don't like Berdych. But I feel like Berdy winning will provide the most competitive slam final. For whatever reason over their careers he has more wins over Rog and Rafa than Stan has. Stan has a lot of problems with those two while he does better against Murray and Djoko. I think this is Berdych's best chance at a slam. Nadal's got the blisters and his form has dipped. Federer is playing great but Berdy has played him well and beaten him in some big matches the last few years. But in terms of H2H stan holds the 8-5 edge and should be the favorite in the Semi against Berdy. So stan also is getting his best shot as slam. I actually think this semi will be better Semi.

Well done to Stan who I felt deserved a final place the most after taking down Djokovic as well as some good performances this year.