The machine is rolling.
No. 6 Tomas Berdych tried his darnedest to slow down that unstoppable force, but after an hour, his will was broken.
It took No. 3 Roger Federer a little more than two hours to secure his 7-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over Berdych in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Australian Open. But, in reality, Federer won the match after just 59 minutes, when he survived a first set tiebreak and pushed away Berdych’s chance to steal the opening set.
The quick match time is good news for Federer, who faces No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. Djokovic advanced with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over over No. 7 Kei Nishikori.
Either way, Federer is now just two wins away from his 18th Grand Slam. Reminder: Federer is 34 years old.
The pair split the first 12 games of the match, with Berdych saving a set point in the process. At 6-6, the first set headed to a tiebreak. Federer began with a wicked crosscourt forehand winner that sped past Berdych’s outstretched racket. He then jumped out to a 6-3 lead. A sensational forehand winner by Berdych extended the set, but not for long. Fifty-nine minutes after the match began, Federer captured the first set.
