Mikhail Youzhny will take on Michael Berrer for a place in the semi-finals of the ATP Zagreb OpenYou can watch and bet on Youzhny v Berrer live for free at bet365 > live tennisMikhail Youzhny was involved in a sensational quarter-final showdown against Ivo Karlovic on Friday, but he somehow managed to pull through with a 7-6(10), 3-6, 7-6(6) win. Given the strength of Karlovic’s serve, it was no surprise that two of the sets went to a tie-breaker, and the Croat will perhaps be feeling a little aggrieved having lost such a close contest.
“It was a very close match, very tough match for both,” stated the Russian after edging the victory. “I think I was a bit lucky. When you win in two tie-break sets, two points difference, you have to have to have luck on your side,” he added.
Next up for Youzhny will be Michael Berrer, who also scraped through. The German managed to defy Jurgen Melzer in three sets (5-7, 6-4, 6-4), requiring just over two hours to get the job done. This win should help to put Berrer back inside the top hundred.
“I knew it’d be a very difficult match and I’d have to play on top,” said Berrer. “In the beginning I was 1-4 down and I felt like, I’m playing not bad, but he’s just too good. But then I got a little bit more offensive, tried to get him away from the baseline, pushed him back a little bit, and then I went to chip and charge returns. I was able to put him down a little bit.”
Berrer has a 1-0 head to head record against Youzhny, following a win in Moscow in 2007. This time around Youzhny is the favourite, though Berrer can’t be ruled out. As a powerful left-hander, Berrer poses a big threat, and Youzhny will have to be on his toes to avoid an upset.
