Tomas Berdych has recorded a 6-3 6-1 win over Marin Cilic to keep his hopes alive at the ATP World Tour Finals.
Both players went into their match on Wednesday afternoon knowing that they would effectively be eliminated with a defeat, and it was Berdych who responded better to the pressure as he earned a crucial victory over the US Open champion.
Berdych saved six break points during the 75-minute contest but with Cilic misfiring behind his serve, he never looked in danger of failing to record a sixth career success over the Croatian.
Read below to see how the action unfolded at the O2 Arena in London.
Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the match between Tomas Berdych and Marin Cilic at the ATP World Tour Finals.
Monday couldn't have gone much worse for these two players after they both were thrashed 6-1 6-1 by their respective opponents, but there is good news. Neither are out of this tournament and whoever wins this afternoon will give themselves an opportunity of making the last four.
That said, confidence isn't going to be high for either player going into this contest, but it's that factor that could lead us to our first three-set match of the week. Cilic has won the coin toss and elected to serve.
Sticking with the subject of serve, both Berdych and Cilic are known for their consistency and power behind their own delivery but they were comfortably dismantled by Djokovic and Wawrinka a couple of days ago. That owing to the speed of the court as much as anything else, but it may cause both men to doubt themselves going into today's match.
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An interesting stat heading into this match is that Tomas Berdych has lost each of his opening round-robin matches at the ATP World Tour Finals but he has always gone on to win his second. Will that run continue? We will find out over the next couple of hours. Marin Cilic is ready to serve so let's get this crucial Group A encounter underway.
BREAK! Straight away, the pressure falls on Cilic who makes three errors to gift three break points to Berdych. The US Open champion settles to save the first two openings, before a kick second serve gets him to deuce. Cilic creates a couple of chances to hold, but Berdych fires back, finding the range on his forehand, to eventually seal the break.
Berdych constructs the opening point well but flinches first when attempting to put away a drive volley. Cilic has a chance at 15-30 but he finds the target with some first serves out wide.
Since the opening three points of the match, Cilic has played some solid tennis without reward, but he's finally on the board with a love service hold. He'll need more of the same if he is to get back into this set.
The worry was that neither man might not be feeling too confident this afternoon, but it's been completely the opposite. Berdych holds to love on this occasion to regain his two-game lead.
Cilic starts the fifth game of the match on the front foot but a couple of points in a row give Berdych a sniff of the double break. The Croatian holds firm though to come through with a hold to 30.
More confident play from Berdych sees him open up a 30-0 lead with little fuss before a one-two off his serve has Cilic beaten on the stretch. Cilic looks on course to avoid another love game but he blazes a forehand long to gift Berdych his 11th successive point on serve.
Berdych has another look at the double break when Cilic allows him 0-30 but a meaty serve down the middle halves the deficit. However, despite a decent second serve, Cilic proceeds to send another shot off the ground into the net to concede two break points to the Czech but the first is saved when Berdych nets. The second is saved with a routine forehand at the net and he eventually comes through with the hold. He's had his struggles on serve but he remains just the one break down.
Berdych's run on serve comes to an end with a poor forehand error at the net and he falls to 0-30 down after a clinical smash from Cilic. Berdych takes the next point but Cilic has two break points after advancing into the net to put away a volley. What a response from Berdych, though. A sublime backhand winner sets the tone for four points in a row to move one away from the opening set.
SET! A second-serve ace takes Cilic to 30-0 but it's not enough to discourage Berdych, who hits a stunning forehand down the line on the way to 30-30. The Czech then middles a backhand passing shot to bring up a set point but he miscues a forehand when the point seemed there for the taking. However, he gets a second chance and this time, he takes it when Cilic fails to catch the line with a forehand.
That was a decent set of tennis from both men - well, a lot better than how they played on Monday - but it's Berdych who has edged closer to victory. Apart from a shaky moment in the eighth game, he's been on top against the US Open champion.
That second break for Berdych has enabled him to serve first in this set, which could prove pivotal should he continue to hold. Cilic takes advantage of a net cord to earn 15-15 but he has no reply when Berdych powers down a number of first serves.
It's important that Cilic serves well in this game and he does just that to swiftly move to 40-0. Berdych fires back at him with two points of his own but the Czech sends a backhand into the net to allow Cilic to level.
Cilic begins the third game aggressively and it pays off for a 0-30 advantage but he can't capitalise as he dumps a forehand return into the net. However, he is given his opportunity when Berdych nets a routine shot off the same wing but like in the opening set, the US Open winner wilts and Berdych takes four point in succession to hold. That's got to be deflating for Cilic.
BREAK! Cilic bullets down two aces that leave Berdych flailing, but a forehand error keeps Berdych interested. The Czech concentration heightens with two crushing winners into the corner for a break point, and out of nowhere, it's taken when Cilic hooks wide with a backhand.
Cilic needs an immediate response and it's looking good when he puts away a smash for 0-15 but more mistakes and an unsuccessful challenge midway through a rally sum up his afternoon. Berdych holds to 30 with an ace.
BREAK! A first serve sits up perfectly for Berdych to drill a return down the line before Cilic doesn't get enough on a drop shot to give his opponent 0-30. That becomes 0-40 when Berdych passes Cilic with a forehand but the first break point is fended off with a glorious backhand winner. However, Berdych strikes on the second when Cilic nets, and this match is almost done.
MATCH! A net cord does Cilic no favours on the opening point but he connects with a backhand down the line for 15-15. Berdych then makes a mistake off the ground and maybe this match isn't over just yet. Cilic creates a break point when Berdych goes wide with a forehand but the it is saved with a huge ace down the middle. The Croatian creates a sixth break point opening when Berdych nets but again, it's saved. Superb composure from the Czech. He gets to match point when Cilic nets and it's taken with a backhand down the line that his opponent can only send into the tape.
It was only two days ago that Berdych was seen moping off court at the O2 Arena but what a difference 48 hours make. The big-hitting Czech was far from perfect but he had more than enough to record a comfortable victory over the US Open champion. Cilic's game-difference means he is effectively out of the tournament, but Berdych has every chance of qualification should he beat Novak Djokovic on Friday.
That will be all from our coverage of this match but we hope to see you later for the highly-anticipated showdown between Djokovic and Stanislas Wawrinka. It's not often that those two players throw up a boring match so be sure to keep an eye out for that around 8pm tonight. Goodbye for now.
