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Tursunov in final

Kamesh Srinivasan

Berdyeh takes out Koubek

SOLID PERFORMANCE: Tomas Berdych reached the final with a professional display. — Photo: AFP

MUMBAI: It is a surprise that he has not won a title on the tour yet. It will not be a surprise if Dmitry Tursunov of Russia goes on to win one here. There is no doubt that the 23-year-old Russian has potential.

Just ask Andy Roddick, or Tommy Robredo.

He may have been tired coming into the tournament, but Tursunov has been improving with every match and put up splendid fare in entertaining a near-capacity crowd on way to a 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-1 victory over the top-seeded Robredo of Spain in the semifinals of the $380,000 Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open at the CCI courts here on Saturday.

Tursunov will meet Tomas Berdych who cut short the dream run of the 118th ranked Stefan Koubek, with a 7-6(2), 6-2 win.

The Russian was off to a superb start, serving big and timing the ball really well. However, there were moments of indecisive play that saw the Russian get broken in the seventh game of the first set and a couple of times in the second. Yet, there was no doubt as to who was calling the shots in the whole match. With due respect to Robredo's abilities, he had very little say in the overall flow of fortunes.

As the match wore on, Tursunov was at his delightful best and had the majority of the crowd behind him.

Majestic fashion

While Robredo was made to labour for his points, the 22nd ranked Tursunov was collecting them in majestic fashion, with superb ground-strokes shots and delectable drops that had the fleet-footed Spaniard rooted to the ground.

Into the decider, Tursunov raced to a finish that took him one step closer to his maiden title.

Berdych looked sharp, stepping it up at the right time to scotch the hopes of the 29-year-old Austrian who saved a handful of breakpoints in three alternate service games of the first set to force a tie-break.

The 21-year-old Berdych was quite solid on his serve but for facing two breakpoints in the 11th game of the first set. However, he found the big ones to pull himself out of trouble and wound up the first set with one of his nine aces.

Eventually, the athletic Koubek, a former top-20, just did not have the legs to match the World No.13, the winner of the Paris Masters. Berdych often caught him on the wrong foot a few times to upset the Austrian's rhythm.

The match as a contest was finished when Berdych broke Koubek in the first game of the second set and broke him again at love in the seventh game, before serving the match out for love.

The results: Semifinals: Dmitry Tursunov (Rus) bt Tommy Robredo (Esp) 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-1; Tomas Berdych (Cze) bt Stefan Koubek (Aut) 7-6 (2), 6-2.

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