PARIS — Tomas Berdych has been seeded in grand slams for 10 years, yet the Czech, ranked fourth at the French Open, is rarely discussed as a potential champion.
Hardly helped by the era in which is playing in, Berdych has reached only one grand slam final, at Wimbledon in 2010, but has been ever-present in the world's top 10 for five years.
After being drawn in the "weaker" bottom half of the draw here in the French capital, Berdych may sense a chance to give himself another shot at a final.
He made his ranking tell on Monday in a 6-0 7-5 6-3 thrashing of Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka, who could do nothing to stop a player who warmed up for Roland Garros by reaching at least the last eight in the Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome Masters.