ROBIN SODERLING has played second fiddle to Roger Federer 12 times in his career. Not yesterday. On the grand, soaked stage of Court Philippe Chatrier, the Swede stepped out of the orchestra pit and beat him up in what was without question the most enthralling contest of this French Open so far.
It took the fifth seed 150 minutes – and a 75-minute rain break – to crack Federer’s will, and the scoreline of 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 tells the story of a very good fight indeed.
Last year Federer blew Soderling away in three sets to win the title. It was humiliating and some reckoned inevitable – even though the Swede had already put Rafael Nadal out in the quarter-finals.
This time – his time – Soderling gave the Swiss all the fight he could handle and more, crashing 14 ballboy-threatening aces and muscling ground strokes rocket-like down both wings to keep Federer pinned behind the baseline, at times powerless to change the course of the match.
It was raw, sometimes frightening tennis, played out against a backdrop of grey skies and jangling nerves. “I played better and better every match,” Soderling said, “and today I played really well. Everybody who is still in the draw (is capable) of going all the way. I have a really tough semi-final to come.”
Soderling plays Andy Murray’s conqueror, the impressive Czech Tomas Berdych, who made short work of Mikhail Youzhny, dropping only six games in three sets. It will be fascinating to see if Berdych, seeded 15, can do to Soderling what the number one player in the world could not do.
There was an argument doing the rounds of Roland Garros this week that went something like this: if Federer somehow could hold on to his championship by beating the finest clay-courter tennis has ever seen, he could fairly be crowned the all-time monarch of his sport.
It was widely said in this sweeping assumption Federer won it last year only because Nadal went out to Soderling. If he beat Nadal for a title the Spaniard has won four times, surely he would be the game’s governor. All of which dismissed Soderling as a bit player, a comma in a grand statement. Yesterday, he showed up the foolishness of such a view.
The Swiss’s path in the tournament certainly had been strewn with roses – and it looked as if it was going to be even easier when Soderling began moving gingerly in the second game of the match. He winced visibly hitting a robust cross-court forehand to hold serve and Federer, the politest of assassins, went in for the kill.
The champion ran Soderling short, deep and long, almost at will, and nearly every shot he played was wreathed in the certainty of success. The first set went by in 32 minutes. Soderling was reduced to impotence by Federer’s first serve.
However, Soderling was far from done. He hit back hard with his own serve – all 143mph of it in one booming effort as he held, then broke, to go 2-0 up in the second. He held again, with ease. His sixth ace took him to set point – and then a fierce downpour drenched Roland Garros. When they returned, Federer double-faulted, giving Soderling a sniff of an upset. The champion struggled to stay in touch and could only shrug when the Swede aced again, to trail by two sets.
Federer broke to lead 2-0 in the fourth, gave up three break points, then hit long to hand the match back to Soderling. There was a quick, heavy burst of rain. Federer was keen to go off. Soderling was desperate to stay. The rain eased. They played on – and clearly the underdog did not mind rolling about in the mud for a little longer. Federer had to save three break points to hang on for 4-3, but he was weakening under the onslaught.
Last year, he came within five points of losing in straight sets to Tommy Haas, then launched one of the great fightbacks. At 15-40 down in the ninth game of the fourth set yesterday, he found himself in almost the same position – but this time he blew it. A backhand went long. Soderling had only to hold serve to win.
The last time Federer did not reach the semi-final of a slam was in 2003, when evicted here by Gustavo Kuerten. That was then. Federer hit Soderling’s kicking second serve long again, and the deed was done.
Guardian Service
