Fifth-ranked Tomas Berdych qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals for a fifth straight year with his semifinal run at the Paris Masters. The Czech won just two titles this season, at Rotterdam and Stockholm, but he reached three other finals, in Dubai, Portugal, and Beijing. At the Grand Slams, he reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, the quarterfinals of the French and U.S. Opens, and the third round of Wimbledon.
Berdych could end the season at No. 4, depending on his play in London. The 29-year-old says he battled hard to win the critical quarterfinal match, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4, over Kevin Anderson. "I definitely think it’s more rewarding if you win a match like that, where you have to come back, win, and really fight for the victory. What is nice about tennis is that the people with the best statistics don’t always win the matches."
He added that he is happy to return to the season-ending championships. "No matter how many times you qualify, it’ll never be routine," he said. "I mean, it's always just proof of having a great season, and especially in this era of tennis when you have the guys like today. So basically you have to fight."