Getting to know...Tomas Berdych - 網球 Tennis

http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/articles/2010-05-31/20100531127531996
7015.html

Monday, May 31, 2010
By Eric Frosio (translation by Corentine Howe)

The Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych has crept under the radar – both on and
off court – to rise to No.17 in the world and earn himself a quarter-final
tie against Mikhail Youzhny.

On the face of it, he ticks all the boxes: good looks, bright blue eyes and
an explosive game. His ranking is more than respectable (No.17) and he is
engaged to world No.25 Lucie Safarova. And yet this is not enough to get
Tomas Berdych noticed by the fans. Despite winning the BNP Paribas Masters in
Paris in 2005 and achieving stand-out results in 2010 (defeating Federer,
Verdasco and Soderling at Key Biscayne for example before falling in the
final to Roddick), he does not attract the spotlight. His victory on Sunday
night over Andy Murray which propelled him into the quarter-finals of a Grand
Slam for only the second time in his career (after Wimbledon 2007), ought to
raise his profile, but then again…

"It doesn't bother me," the Czech almost apologizes, looking down at his
feet. “I'm not looking to be super popular. In fact I don't care. It's
cool to be on the front page of the newspaper, it's a nice reward for all of
the work and sacrifices over the years but at the same time, I'm not looking
for recognition at all costs. I'm staying true to myself… natural. If
people like me, that's fine. If not…"

While there are fans who do like him, there are many people – chief among
them his fellow players on the tour – who do not. In 2006, Fabrice Santoro
refused to shake his hand after in the second round at Wimbledon , describing
Berdych's behaviour as “unacceptable” after the match. Fellow Frenchman
Michael Llodra had words with him at Roland Garros in 2008, and Rafael Nadal
has never forgiven an apparent lack of respect in Madrid in 2006.

Not that Berdych is losing any sleep over these incidents. “I don't know
the reason for these misunderstandings,” he says. “The French don't like
me? Maybe it's because of our Davis Cup victory. In any event, I won't be
making any real friends on the tour. We're all opponents. I don't hang out
with other players. I stay mostly with the other Czechs but my real friends
are at home, not in tennis."

One thing that the tennis circuit did bring him however is his fiancée. “
Lucie knows what the job entails and we understand each other. We also get to
spend time together when we compete in combined tournaments, and that's fun.
I like to watch her play.” The couple sometimes train together in Prostejov
in the Czech Republic, and seem to have found the right balance for their
careers – being together, and staying out of the spotlight…

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