Czech Tomas Berdych tasted only his second victory in 15 clashes with Novak Djokovic to reach the semi-finals of the Rome Masters yesterday, coming from nowhere to stun the world number one 2-6 7-5 6-4 at the Foro Italico.

Djokovic looked poised for a routine victory with some majestic tennis putting him 6-2 5-2 ahead but Berdych’s power game suddenly caught fire to leave the Serb reeling.

“It was a very weird match,” Djokovic told reporters. “I lost concentration and I started to play too defensively and did not convert my opportunities and I lost this match on my own.

“I need to make sure that I don’t have highs and lows. I’m sure that I will be ready for Paris.”

Apart from a victory in the 2010 Wimbledon semi-finals it has been a tale of woe for Berdych against Djokovic, including two defeats this year, but the world number six produced a display that augurs well for his French Open hopes.

“It’s a special victory. I was on 11 defeats in a row and it had to stop,” Berdych, who did not even create a break point until Djokovic served for the match at 5-3 in the second set, told reporters.

For Djokovic his Roland Garros preparations have not gone to plan since he beat Rafa Nadal to win the Monte Carlo title.

Frenchman Benoit Paire reached his first Masters Series semi-final with a 6-1 6-0 thrashing of Marcel Granollers.

Nadal also had to dig deep to overcome fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in three sets – 6-4 4-6 6-2

Serena Williams continued her march towards another title by pulverising Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2 6-0 while her most fierce rival Maria Sharapova withdrew from her quarter-final with home favourite Sara Errani because of illness.