Berd v. Verd was expected to be one of the more competitive men's fourth-round matches. Compared to Novak Djokovic's 3, 4 and love trouncing of Nicolas Almagro earlier in the day, it was. But even that's a stretch. Tomas Berdych disassembled Fernando Verdasco, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3, setting up a No. 3 v. No. 6 quarterfinal contest with Djokovic.
Remember how Robin Soderling looked in his two grand upsets at Roland Garros, against Rafael Nadal in 2009 and Roger Federer last year? That's who Berdych resembled today. If he was given any sort of time to set up—almost always with the forehand—Berdych clobbered the ball, creating the sound every tennis player loves to hear. It was a sweet day for the Czech, who found the sweet spot repeatedly and seemingly with ease. This match got away from Verdasco quickly, and he never caught up.
Berdych has always had the power, but by improving his movement and timing over the last year, he's made his shots especially dangerous. He'll need to hit the same way in order to beat Djokovic, who looks like more of a title threat with each passing match. After all the Roger-Rafa talk, we may have slept on the Serb's chances Down Under. Maybe the same should be said for Berdych.
—Ed McGrogan