Sports

Berdych continues mastery of Federer

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Tomas Berdych is now known for more than his girlfriend.

Berdych has a killer girlfriend — Czech model Ester Satorova — and now the title of Roger Federer killer after Wednesday night’s quarterfinal stunner at the U.S. Open.

In topping his 2010 upset of Federer in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, the No. 6 seed Berdych handed Federer his first-ever loss in a U.S. Open night match with a four-set triumph that had fans filing out of Arthur Ashe Stadium in shock.

The 26-year-old Berdych, with his big serve and vicious crosscourt forehand, has beaten Federer in four of their last seven meetings. Other than Rafael Nadal, nobody has had as much success against the Swiss Maestro as Berdych. One of Berdych’s losses came three years ago at the Australian Open when he blew a two-sets-to-none lead.

Having never been in an Open quarterfinal or a Flushing night match did not deter Berdych, who this time didn’t blow the 2-0 lead. No wonder Federer, who may have lost his grip on finishing No. 1 for 2012, was so downcast afterward.

“I’m able to make him some trouble,’’ Berdych said. “There is something in my game he doesn’t like and it makes him struggle. Maybe I bring him out of his comfort zone he always likes to be in. He always likes to have time and he is always the one who is dictating the game.”

Berdych has crashed Super Saturday’s semifinal party and will face Britain’s Andy Murray. The Czech Republic product has a 4-2 record over Murray. They have split in 2012, with Berdych winning on clay in Monte Carlo and Murray beating him on hardcourt in Dubai.

It is not the dream Federer-Murray rematch, but the saving grace for CBS’ cameras is lots of opportunities to show Satorova gazing from the players’ box. There were already more shots of Satorova on Wednesday night than Federer aces.

Berdych and Satorova have dated since the fall and she has attended several tournaments. Berdych had dated fellow tour player, Lucie Safarova, for 10 years before they broke up.

In fact, Berdych was recently quoted as saying dating a model has helped his focus. Berdych has been ranked in the top 10 since 2010.

“I can say that this one is way better because I think it was too much tennis,’’ Berdych said of the girlfriend change. “I’m dealing with everyday work that you have to play, practice, organize this stuff, then winning, losing, it’s quite tough to have it from one side. If you have to deal with the same thing from the other side, it was quite too much. So I’m really enjoying that I met somebody with a different life.’’

With Federer’s forehand a wreck, Berdych won the first two sets and got up a break in the third before “The Greatest-Ever” staged a mini rally, forcing a fourth set. But Berdych’s only scary moment came in the fourth set when he dove for a volley after a magnificent Federer passing shot and fell to the court scraping his hands. Berdych stayed down for several moments and admitted he was afraid he would not be able to grip the racket.

“I scratched a bit of my hard skin,’’ Berdych said. “I was lucky to hold my racket well and still have feeling.’’

It was a lot better than Federer felt afterward after leaving Flushing Meadows title-less in his last four Opens.