Tomas Berdych says the only way he was going to win his first title in 16 months was to treat it like any other match. The Czech defeated Marin Cilic, 6-4, 6-2, in Rotterdam to win his first tournament since October 2012 (Stockholm).
"I thought of the final as just another match. You need to approach every match the same, every single time,” Berdych said. “That's the way I try to do. I made a game plan and went for it. Everyone wants to win titles, but the best way to do that is to play solid and consistent over our long 10-month season. Even if I had not won in so long, I feel it is better to play well every week rather then take a title and then let your level drop."
The win moved Berdych to No. 6 in the rankings and knocked Andy Murray down to seventh, his lowest ranking since mid- 2008. Murray returned from back surgery at the start of this season.