Borg predicts Soderling will take over as No. 1
Source: Agencies |
June 3, 2010, Thursday
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BJORN Borg is predicting that Swedish compatriot Robin Soderling will soon reach the No. 1 ranking after beating Roger Federer in the French Open quarterfinals.
Borg described Soderling's play against Federer on Tuesday as "perfect" and said the seventh-ranked Swede could surpass both the Swiss star and Rafael Nadal in the rankings.
Borg told Swedish newspaper Expressen yesterday that Soderling "will become the world's No. 1, and will do it faster than we can expect."
Borg holds a record six French Open titles from 1974-81. The last Swede to win the title at Roland Garros was Mats Wilander in 1988. Nadal has four titles and would overtake the No. 1 spot from Federer with a fifth.
Two hours after 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 loss to Soderling, a result that ended a sequence of reaching 23 consecutive grand slam semifinals, Federer produced an instant riposte with a wry smile.
"They all come to an end at some stage," Federer said of his first failure to reach the last four of a major since Gustavo Kuerten beat him in the third round at Roland Garros in 2004.
"You hope it doesn't happen, but they do. I mean, it was a great run. Now I've got the quarterfinal streak going, I guess. It's been an amazing run. If I could have signed for all those semis in a row, I would have done it right away."
It could get worse for the 28-year-old Swiss who will lose his world No. 1 ranking if Nadal goes on to win the tournament on Sunday, but Federer remained sanguine.
His early play in the quarterfinal against Soderling suggested that he would extend his record against the fifth-seeded Swede to 13-0 but the match turned at the end of a rain-hit third set.
Federer said the damp, slow conditions had not helped his cause.
"I don't think I played a bad match, so it's easier to go out this way. Conditions were on the rougher side for both of us, and I thought he came up with some great tennis.
"He hit it well. He played aggressive and kept on coming. When the conditions got more heavy when we came back from the rain delay, he played well.
"These were some serious, tough conditions. If you serve 225, 230kph you can still hit through the court on the serve. I'm lacking those 5 to 10ks but that's the way conditions are. I can't complain, it was the same for both of us."
Federer will now pack his bags and leave for London hoping to make a better job of defending his Wimbledon title than he did his French.
"I really felt like my tennis was good enough to come here and do it again, but that was not the case today," he said.
"You move on, move on to the grass and forget it a little bit."
Borg described Soderling's play against Federer on Tuesday as "perfect" and said the seventh-ranked Swede could surpass both the Swiss star and Rafael Nadal in the rankings.
Borg told Swedish newspaper Expressen yesterday that Soderling "will become the world's No. 1, and will do it faster than we can expect."
Borg holds a record six French Open titles from 1974-81. The last Swede to win the title at Roland Garros was Mats Wilander in 1988. Nadal has four titles and would overtake the No. 1 spot from Federer with a fifth.
Two hours after 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 loss to Soderling, a result that ended a sequence of reaching 23 consecutive grand slam semifinals, Federer produced an instant riposte with a wry smile.
"They all come to an end at some stage," Federer said of his first failure to reach the last four of a major since Gustavo Kuerten beat him in the third round at Roland Garros in 2004.
"You hope it doesn't happen, but they do. I mean, it was a great run. Now I've got the quarterfinal streak going, I guess. It's been an amazing run. If I could have signed for all those semis in a row, I would have done it right away."
It could get worse for the 28-year-old Swiss who will lose his world No. 1 ranking if Nadal goes on to win the tournament on Sunday, but Federer remained sanguine.
His early play in the quarterfinal against Soderling suggested that he would extend his record against the fifth-seeded Swede to 13-0 but the match turned at the end of a rain-hit third set.
Federer said the damp, slow conditions had not helped his cause.
"I don't think I played a bad match, so it's easier to go out this way. Conditions were on the rougher side for both of us, and I thought he came up with some great tennis.
"He hit it well. He played aggressive and kept on coming. When the conditions got more heavy when we came back from the rain delay, he played well.
"These were some serious, tough conditions. If you serve 225, 230kph you can still hit through the court on the serve. I'm lacking those 5 to 10ks but that's the way conditions are. I can't complain, it was the same for both of us."
Federer will now pack his bags and leave for London hoping to make a better job of defending his Wimbledon title than he did his French.
"I really felt like my tennis was good enough to come here and do it again, but that was not the case today," he said.
"You move on, move on to the grass and forget it a little bit."
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