LONDON: Novak Djokovic had little trouble beating Tomas Berdych in his first match at this year's ATP World Tour Finals, winning 6-3, 6-3 Monday in the Group A match. The third-seeded Serb served well throughout, was only taken to deuce in two games and never faced a break point. He also ran his sixth-ranked Czech opponent around the court at the O2 Arena, using a variety of forehands and backhands to send Berdych sprinting from side to side. “There is no easy match, easy opponent, whatever,” Djokovic said of the season-ending tournament, which brings together the top eight players in the world. Djokovic's strong performance aside, Berdych's biggest problem may have been his serve. The Czech landed only 48 percent of his first serves, and although he only had three double-faults, two of them came in the first game – on the opening point and on break point. “That is the worst case in every match, if you start pretty bad with a service game and you just give the break up to your opponent,” Berdych said. After holding to 2-0, Djokovic then had four break points in the third game, but Berdych was able to hold on and stay in the set. Djokovic, however, broke again in the final game of the first set and then added another in the second game of the second. “To start off with a break for me was very important,” Djokovic said. “I was trying to focus on my game and do the things that I planned to do tactically with my coach. I think I did well.” Djokovic won the ATP Finals in 2008, but last year failed to advance out of the group stage. Berdych, the only player in the field without an ATP title in 2010, is making his debut. Berdych has lost four of the five matches he has played against Djokovic, but his one victory came in this year's Wimbledon semifinals. On Sunday, Roger Federer and Andy Murray won their opening Group B matches and will face each other Tuesday. David Ferrer will go up against Robin Soderling in the other match. Federer won 6-1, 6-4 over Ferrer. In doubles, Mahesh Bhupathi of India and Max Mirnyi of Belarus beat Lukasz Kubot of Poland and Oliver Marach of Austria 7-6 (2), 6-4. In the late match, Daniel Nestor of Canada and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia defeated Wesley Moodie of South Africa and Dick Norman of Belgium 6-1, 6-2. ATP to extend offseason The ATP is extending the offseason in men's tennis from five to seven weeks, starting in 2012, without reducing the number of tournaments. The decision, announced Sunday at the ATP World Tour Finals, was approved by the ATP Board ahead of the season-ending event at the O2 Arena in London. “Our 2012 and 2013 calendars each provide for the seven-week offseason, meaning that our players will have an additional two weeks to spend away from the rigors of life on tour before taking up the cause again in the following year,” ATP President Adam Helfant said. “I'm happy to say that these new calendars and the expanded offseason reflect the broad consensus among our members that the players, and really the sport as a whole, needed a longer break. It didn't take long to find that consensus.” The men's tour has gone on vacation from the end of the ATP finals in November until the start of the following season in early January at the Brisbane International, Chennai Open and Qatar Open. But the seasons will end sooner in 2012 and 2013 with the rescheduling of four late-season events along with the removal of the off-week between the Paris Masters and the ATP finals. Federer said it was good move, but “time will tell.” “In six weeks, you can heal problems, inflammations, you name it,” said Federer, a 16-time Grand Slam champion. “Inflammations take - I'm not a doctor - but about three weeks to heal. Four weeks is a good thing. So that still leaves you a bit of practice.”
