In the absence of many top players such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin, the Czech still beat top 10 players (No. 7 Guillermo Coria and No. 10 Ljubicic) en route to the title. Although Berdych went on to have an incredibly successful career, his first Masters 1000 victory would also be his last.
The players involvedTomas Berdych and Ivan Ljubicic
Born in 1985, Tomas Berdych made his Grand Slam debut entering the 2003 US Open draw as a lucky underdog to reach the second round, where he lost to Juan Ignacio Cela 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.
If someone had told me that I would win the tournament, I would have called them crazy.
– Tom Berdych
In February 2004, he was eliminated from the qualifying round of the Australian Open and again reached the second round, where he was brutally eliminated by Andre Agassi (6-0, 6-2, 6-4). A few months later, he became famous by defeating world No. 1 Roger Federer in the second round of the Athens Olympics (4-6, 7-5, 7-5). He then won his first title in Palermo in September, defeating Filippo Volandri 6-3, 6-3 in the final. In 2005, he struggled to match his level of play until July, when he finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal (2-6, 6-2, 6-4) in Bastad.
Ivan Ljubicic, from Croatia, was born in 1979. Relying mainly on the death serve, he broke into the top 100 in 1999 and won his first title in 2001 in Lyon, defeating Younes El Ainaoui 6-3, 6-2 in the final. He remained a top 50 player until 2004, when he moved up to the top 25 after reaching the semi-finals of the Masters 1000 twice.
2005 was his breakthrough year. The Croatian reached the final in four of his first six tournaments, losing to Federer in Doha (6-3, 6-1), Rotterdam (5-7, 7-5, 7-6) and Dubai (6-1, 6-7, 6-3) and Joachim Johansson in Marseille (7-5, 6-4).
At the start of the indoor season, he won back-to-back titles in Metz (defeat Gael Monfils, 7-6, 6-0) and Vienna (defeat Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6), despite falling to the Madrid Masters 1000 final, 3-6-2, to Nadal, two, 2-6, to Rafael by 3-6. 6-3, 6-4, 7-6). He was now 10th in the world.
The place
The Paris-Bercy Indoor Open was founded in 1986. Held annually in early November, it is usually the last tournament on the tour before the ATP Finals and Davis Cup Finals. One of the world’s most prestigious indoor events, it became part of the Super 9 category (the former Masters 1000) in 1990. Former champions included such great stars as Boris Becker (1986, 1989, 1992), Andre Agassi (1994, 1999, 1999, 1999, 1999). Safin (2000, 2002, 2004).
The facts
In 2005, the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 tournament lost many top players, including two of the world’s best players, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and defending champion Marat Safin. As a result, the two top seeds were Andy Roddick (World No. 3) and Guillermo Coria (World No. 7).
It was the perfect scene for an upset, and the player who created it was Tomasz Berdych.
The 20-year-old Czech had already shown what he could do to the game’s elite when he beat Federer at the 2004 Olympics. At the Paris Open, unseeded and world No. 50, he eliminated world No. 7 Guillermo Coria (6-4, 6-2) in the second round before beating two former Roland Garros champions, Juan Carlos Ferrero (7-5, 6-7, 6-4) and Gaston Gaudio (7-5, 6-0). In the semifinals, he was able to defeat Radek Stepanek, who was the number 1 Czech player and last year’s runner-up (6-1, 3-6, 6-3).
In the final, Berdych faced Ivan Ljubicic, who had just entered the top 10. The Croatian had already won two indoor titles in 2005, and after the US Open, he had won 20 matches and suffered just two losses. At the Masters 1000 in Madrid, he lost to world No. 2 Nadal despite leading by two sets, and in the semi-finals in Paris he defeated world number one and world No. 3 Andy Roddick (6-3, 7-5). In other words, Berdych was not a favorite.
But Cech started the match hot. After breaking her opponent’s serve for 2-1, she held her own to seal the first set with an ace, 6-3. Berdych confirmed his lead in the match by taking the second set 6-4. However, Ljubicic raised his game with his back against the wall and won the next two sets (6-3, 6-4). When Berdych was treated before the start of the fifth set, it seemed his fate was sealed, but he fought on.
There were no break chances in the first nine games of the decider until Berdych finally broke Ljubicic in the tenth game of the decider to seal his crown. To everyone’s surprise, the 50th player in the world has just won the prestigious Paris-Bercy title. He was the shortest player to achieve the feat, and he was also the youngest player to win the tournament since 18-year-old Boris Becker in 1986.
“If someone had told me that I would win the tournament, I would have called them crazy.” said Berdych. “On the other hand, anything can happen in tennis and I’m very happy with my win and the end of the season.”
Despite the loss, Ljubicic, who earned his place in the Masters Cup thanks to his excellent week in Paris, remained positive.
“I’ve had a really fantastic week, though I’d love to win. Now I’m looking forward to the Masters Cup and the Davis Cup.”
What happened next?
Tomas Berdych will become the most top-10 player since Rafael Nadal to reach five Grand Slam semifinals and runner-up at Wimbledon in 2010. Playing both singles and doubles with fellow countryman Radek Stepanek, Berdych would go on to win two straight Davis Cup titles and the world’s top title for the 201st time since 201. 4, 2015, Tomas Berdych will retire in 2019.
Later in 2005, Ivan Ljubicic led Croatia to their first ever Davis Cup, defeating Slovakia (3-2) in the final. He would rise as high as World No. 3 in 2006. That year, he would reach the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and the semifinals at Roland Garros, which would remain his best Grand Slam performance. The Croatian claimed his biggest title in Indian Wells in 2010, defeating Andy Roddick (7-6, 7-6) in the final. After retiring in 2012, Ljubicic would become a coach, working with Milos Raonic (2013-2015) and Roger Federer.