Berdych To Meet Cilic In Beijing Final

© Getty ImagesMarin Cilic is through to the Beijing final for the second time.

Tomas Berdych boosted his chances of qualifying for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, defeating fellow London contender Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 in the semi-finals of the China Open in Beijing Saturday. He’ll look to win his first title in over two years when he takes on Marin Cilic in Sunday’s final.

The Czech, seeded third, converted a late break of serve in the opening set and seemed to be in command of the match, showing no signs of trouble on his serve. Up 6-4, 4-3, Berdych had an opportunity to close the door on Tsonga with a break point but was unable to convert and Tsonga took full advantage. The top seed broke Berdych for the first time in the following game and after a tense service game, evened the match at one set all.

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Despite the stunning turnaround, Berdych kept his cool. He broke Tsonga in the fourth game of the third set and never looked back, claiming their first ATP World Tour meeting in two hours and seven minutes. "The most difficult part, I would say that was the end of second set. I think I was in pretty good chance," said Berdych. "I had a break point to break his serve. I made a close shot to the baseline; unfortunately it was out. The linesman called it good. With the call of the linesman it would be break for me and then I would be serving to the end of the match. But with the option of the Hawk Eye, just the ball was slightly out.

"I would say my concentration [was] not that sharp for the rest of the game. Then I lost the game, lost the set. That was quite a tough moment for me... but the other hand, I started really well in the third set and then break him twice and won 6 1, which I'm really happy for it."

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Berdych advances to his first final of the season after losing in the semi-final stage six times this year. He is looking to win his first title since triumphing in Munich in 2009. Should Berdych win Sunday, the World No. 10 will overtake Tsonga for the seventh position in the 2011 South African Airways ATP Year-To-Date Rankings. "This match [tomorrow] could really change my season from good season to really good season," Berdych declared. "So that's just the one thing I'm looking forward for tomorrow. That's it."

World No. 25 Cilic won an all-Croatian semi-final battle with his doubles partner Ivan Ljubicic, 6-4, 6-3, to reach his 11th ATP World Tour final and third of the season.

The 23 year old is bidding to end a title drought dating back to February 2010, when he won his fifth ATP World Tour title at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors (d. Berrer). This year he has finished runner-up at the Open 13 in Marseille (l. to Soderling) and the ATP Studena Croatia Open in Umag (l. to Dolgopolov).

In recording his first win in three meetings with the No. 26-ranked Ljubicic, Cilic fired 13 aces and saved all seven break points he faced. He was able to convert three of the nine break point chances he created on Ljubicic’s serve to claim victory in one hour and 38 minutes. The two later competed together in the doubles semi-finals, falling to Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau, who took the match 6-4, 6-7(9), 10-6.

Cilic is through to the final of this ATP World Tour 500 hard-court tournament for the second time; he finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the 2009 title match.

"To be a second time in the Beijing final is great feeling coming after this summer," said Cilic. "I played some great tournaments, and I mentioned that I was in pretty good form. That pleases me a lot, that I know when I play well that I can beat those guys and that my tennis is on a good level."