Berdych dumps out Hewitt in Munich

MUNICH: Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt slid out of the Munich claycourt ATP event on Friday, Czech fourth seed Tomas Berdych ousting the Australian battler 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) in their quarter-final.

Unseeded Frenchman Jeremy Chardy pulled off a shock win as he sent Croatian second seed Marin Cilic packing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Also moving into the semis was experienced Russian Mikhail Youzhny, who knocked out French seventh seed Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

Completing the final four is German Daniel Brands, the world number 141, who was leading Italy's Potito Starace 6-4, 1-1 when the latter was forced to retire with a thigh problem.

Hewitt, who has endured two difficult injury-wracked seasons and now is ranked just 55th on the circuit, showed glimpses of his old form in taking the first set off Berdych and the Czech only just clawed his way through the deciding tiebreaker.

On Thursday, the Adelaider had at least picked up his 501st Tour victory when he beat Thiemo de Bakker of the Netherlands - only the third man to pass that mark.

Berdych, semi-finalist in Munich two years ago and ranked 28 in the world, will now take on surprise package Chardy with Youzhny, a 2007 finalist, going up against wildcard Brands.