Soderling makes it to another final
Source: Agencies |
June 5, 2010, Saturday
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SWEDEN'S Robin Soderling wore down Czech Tomas Berdych 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 yesterday to reach the final of the French Open for the second year in a row.
The fifth seed's victory keeps alive the prospect of a re-match with Rafael Nadal in the final after he last year became the first player to beat the Spaniard at Roland Garros.
In sweltering conditions Soderling looked jaded at the end when Berdych hit a backhand into the tramlines to end a three hour 27 minute contest full of fierce baseline rallies.
"It was more than tough," the sweat-drenched 25-year-old said on court.
"Tomas played really well today.
"It was really tough for me to play my game, because he was hitting the ball so hard and so flat. Everything was 10 centimeters from the baseline."
Soderling, who beat Roger Federer in the quarterfinals, could hardly believe that he was back in the final after losing to Federer last year.
"It's unbelievable.
"When I came here, I was thinking about only the first round, getting past the first round. Now, two weeks later, I am in the final again. It's better than the best dream ever," he said.
Soderling broke serve in the sixth game of the first set when Berdych double-faulted and went on to win the opener.
Both players struggled to control their power in the warm air, often firing shots over the baseline, but Berdych began to find his range to win the second and third sets.
The Czech, playing in his first grand slam semifinal, had a chance to break the Soderling serve right at the start of the fourth but the Swede pummelled down an ace.
Soderling struck in the sixth game, breaking when 15th seed Berdych netted a backhand, to set up a deciding set.
After trading early breaks in the fifth, Soderling broke twice more to reach his second grand slam final.
Four-time champion Nadal was to play Austria's Jurgen Melzer in the second semifinal later on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Later today, Francesca Schiavone will take on Samantha Stosur in the women's singles final very few had predicted.
Stosur is the first Australian woman to reach a grand slam final in 30 years. Schiavone is the first Italian woman ever to do so.
Stosur cracked the top 10 in the rankings for the first time just last month. The Australian is 26 but hardly a late-bloomer compared with Schiavone, a 29-year-old Italian who will move into the top 10 for the first time next week.
Schiavone is seeded No. 17. Only once, in 1933, has the title been won by a woman not seeded in the top 10. She and the No. 7-seeded Stosur are both are first-time grand slam finalists.
"It's going to be a great for both of us, no matter who wins," Stosur said yesterday. "It's going to be a day we're both going to remember."
But Schiavone said it's wrong to think the surprise finalists have nothing to lose.
"Nothing to lose? No," she said. "When you want something, you have always something to lose."
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