London: Tomas Berdych recovered from his poor start at the ATP Finals and stayed in contention for a spot in the semi-finals by beating Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-1 on Wednesday.
Following a straight-set loss to Stan Wawrinka, the Czech looked better against Cilic, hitting with accuracy and serving well on big points.
"I was really trying to focus on my tennis and my game, trying to go point by point. I think today was more fighting and getting through. It's good to have a win and it always counts," said Berdych, who is competing at the season finale for the fifth time.
Berdych has never won his opening match of the round-robin stage, and never lost his second match. He will face top-ranked Novak Djokovic in his final round-robin match.
"It's not my first year. I have the experience of losing the first match in the past and I know how to come back. I think that was the biggest difference today," he said.
Berdych broke twice in the first set as the U.S. Open champion - who is now 0-2 in Group A - struggled with his serve.
Cilic, who has beaten Berdych twice this year at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, got off to the worst possible start as he dropped serve immediately. The hard-hitting Croatian produced some good winners but was inconsistent throughout, failing to convert any of his six break points.
In the second set, Cilic held to level at 1-1 but hardly fought as Berdych won five consecutive games to wrap up the match. Cilic, one of three debutants at the O2 Arena, was routed 6-1, 6-1 by Djokovic in his first match and has won only six games in two matches.
"Let's put it this way, with the way he played, he would never win the U.S. Open," Berdych said.
Later Wednesday, Wawrinka will play Djokovic.
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