Robin Soderling continued to impress ahead of the opening week of the 2010 ATP World Tour season by defeating World No. 1 Roger Federer 6-7(8), 7-6(1), 6-2 to reach the final of the Capitala World Tennis Championship, an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi.
Soderling, who accounted for Federer’s fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka Thursday, recovered from a set and a break down to defeat the reigning ATP World Tour Champion, whom he has lost to all 12 times they have played in tour-level competition, including in the 2009 Roland Garros final.
“We played a number of times and I always said the more we play, the closer I will get to a win. It feels good,” said Soderling, who is coached by former World No. 2 Magnus Norman.
“So far, so good. It’s going to be a long season; hopefully I will get the honour of playing a few more times against Roger this year,” added the Swede.
Federer, who will contest the 3rd/4th place playoff match on Sunday before opening the 2010 ATP World Tour season at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, which begins in Doha on Monday, said: “I’ve known Robin for a while and it was great to see his incredible run at the French Open. I think he’s really picked it up and it’s great to see. Magnus his coach has done a great job.
“It was obviously hard starting the year against him in a rematch of Roland Garros. I had fun though and hope I can get a win tomorrow.”
In the final, Soderling will face World No. 2 Rafael Nadal, who defeated David Ferrer 7-6, 6-3 in an all-Spanish semi-final.
“I played good, maybe I had my chance in the first set but Rafa served very good in important moments,” lamented Ferrer, who will face Federer in the 3rd/4th place playoff match Sunday. “I’m happy with my game and I think the fans enjoyed good tennis.”
Soderling has defeated Nadal in their past two tour-level meetings, handing the left-hander his first-ever defeat at Roland Garros and backing it up with victory in the round-robin stage of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.
Nadal is looking for confidence and match practice ahead of his first tournament of the 2010 ATP World Tour season in Doha next week. The Mallorcan struggled with knee tendonitis and an abdominal strain in the second part of the 2009 season and has not won an ATP World Tour title since May.
The reigning Australian Open champion said: “I’m very happy to be here in Abu Dhabi, it’s the perfect place to prepare for Doha and the Australian Open. I feel OK. I had the best five months of my career at the start of 2009 and after that I had a few problems. But anyway I didn’t have bad results; I lost in [the] semi-finals in all the tournaments [and made] one final. It’s impossible to be 100 per cent all the time.”Date: 01.01.2010
Source: ATP World Tour
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