Semi Final day in France.
Open Sud de France in Montpellier, France.
Semi Finals
Pierre-Hugues Herbert (7) v Tomas Berdych
Herbert had won two doubles titles already this year with Nicolas Mahut, including the Australian Open, where the pair completed the career doubles Grand Slam. In singles, Herbert has made significant strides, improving his ranking last year from 81 to 55, a career high.
This year he made the quarters in Doha, including a win over Dominic Thiem, before falling to his semi final opponent here in Berdych, and at the the AO, it took Milos Raonic in the third round to stop his run.
In his effort to reverse the Doha result, Herbert stunned Berdych with an opening salvo in set one.
Racing to 4-0, behind a serve which had been such a reliable servant all week, Berdych was helpless to come back, especially when his second serve was a touch vulnerable to the Frenchman’s quality returning and general confident shot making early on. Just one set point was necessary to clinch the set 6-2.
Berdych was serving first in set two, as he did in the opener, but this time he was more assured, taking the lead and looking solid. Despite a low first serve percentage the Czech player was taking the challenge right up to Herbert with his full range of ground shots for which he has long been renowned.
Leading 4-3, Berdych created three break points on the French delivery. Herbert stood firm, saving all three and holding on to level at 4-4, the final shot a down the line backhand.
In game eleven, it was Herbert who converted a break chance to lead 6-5, and serving for a final spot, he produced an ace on match point, winning 6-2 7-5.
Radu Albot v wildcard Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
For the past eight productions of this tournament, the trophy has been lifted six times by a French player, and there has been at least one French player in the final for the past eleven.
Richard Gasquet had been to the finals seven times for four wins, Gaël Monfils four for two, with Tsonga yet to taste the ultimate dance.
He was well on track for that experience after giving Radu Albot a lesson in serving in set one.
Didn’t matter that only 45% of first serves were finding the mark, all of those were point winners, as were 64% of the ones off second tries.
Worse for Albot was the fact that Tsonga was eating into the Moldavian serve with relish, winning 10 of the 19 points on offer.
The set was over in a flash 6-1.
Far different in set two, at least to begin, when Albot broke and led 2-0. However, Tsonga soon settled, and with a four game streak, regained the initiative.
An all French final was confirmed when Tsonga won 6-1 6-3.
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