In preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, we're profiling 20 of the top medal contenders.
Tomas Berdych has yet to win an Olympic medal, but he scored a monumental win at the 2004 Athens Games.
The then 18-year-old was ranked No. 79—with exactly six career wins to his credit—when he stunned world No. 1 Roger Federer, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, in the second round. It was just the second loss for Federer in his last 26 matches, and it solidified Berdych’s status as a talented player with a major upside.
The 6’5” Czech’s explosive, flat shots play well on grass, as Berdych showed in beating Novak Djokovic en route to the 2010 Wimbledon final, where he fell to Rafael Nadal. But because he doesn’t have as much margin on his shots as some Top 10 players, when Berdych is slightly off, he is vulnerable, as Ernests Gulbis showed during Wimbledon's opening round last month.
Previous Olympic Singles Results
Athens, 2004: Lost in quarterfinals to Taylor Dent
Beijing, 2008: Lost in third round to Roger Federer
Previous Olympic Doubles Results
Athens, 2004: Lost in first round with Jiri Novak to Wayne Arthurs and Todd Woodbridge
Beijing, 2008: Lost in first round with Radek Stepanek to Marcelo Melo and Andre Sa
More Olympic Profiles:
—Agnieszka Radwanska
—Ana Ivanovic
—Andy Murray
—Andy Roddick
—Angelique Kerber
—Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
—John Isner
—Juan Martin del Potro
—Kei Nishikori
—Kim Clijsters
—Li Na
—Maria Sharapova
—Milos Raonic
—Novak Djokovic
—Petra Kvitova
—Roger Federer
—Serena Williams
—Tomas Berdych
—Venus Williams
—Victoria Azarenka