Berdych Edges Gasquet To Reach Miami QFs

  • Posted: Mar 29, 2016

Berdych Edges Gasquet To Reach Miami QFs

Czech prevails in three tight sets

Tomas Berdych is through to the Miami Open quarter-finals after edging Richard Gasquet 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in two hours and 28 minutes on a humid Tuesday at Crandon Park.

The seventh-seeded Czech will face either World No. 1 Novak Djokovic or 14th seed Dominic Thiem for a place in the semi-finals at the second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament of the year.

The 30-year-old Berdych claimed his 30th win in Miami as he advanced to the quarter-finals for the seventh time in 12 appearances. He went on to reach the final in 2010, finishing runner-up to Andy Roddick.

Berdych levelled his FedEx ATP Head2Head with Gasquet at 7-7 after edging the Frenchman in trying conditions. The right-hander rallied from a breakdown in the first set, reeling off four straight games from 2-4 down to clinch the opener.

Gasquet was able to hold on to his early break lead in the second set as he levelled the match, but it was Berdych who came good at the crunch stage, breaking Gasquet in the 11th game of the decider before serving out to love.

World No. 15 David Goffin is through to his second straight ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-final after beating Horacio Zeballos 7-5, 6-3. The Belgian lost just eight points on serve and converted three of his nine break point opportunities as he defeated the lucky loser in 86 minutes.

Goffin is coming off his first Masters 1000 semi-final showing in Indian Wells, where he defeated Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic before falling to Milos Raonic. The 25 year old is the first Belgian man in tournament history to reach the quarter-finals in Miami.

Next up for Goffin will be Gilles Simon, who swept aside fellow Frenchman Lucas Pouille 6-0, 6-1 in just 58 minutes, relinquishing only 11 points on serve. 

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