Soderling ends Nadal's French Open reign
Rafael Nadal's four-year Roland Garros reign came to a sensational
end at the hands of feuding rival Robin Soderling on Sunday as the race
for the 2009 title was thrown wide open.
Nadal, bidding for a record fifth successive French Open crown,
slumped to his first ever defeat here after winning all of his 31
matches since his 2005 debut.
His 6-2, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) fourth round loss was made harder
to swallow as it came against a man he described as one of the most
unpopular in the locker room after an acrimonious Wimbledon clash in
2007. "It's not a tragedy, I had to lose one day. I must accept my
defeats with the same level of calm that I accept my victories," said
Nadal, who had routed Soderling 6-1, 6-0 at the Rome Masters just a
month ago.
"He didn't surprise me because I know how he plays and how dangerous
he can be. I didn't play my best. I played very short and I couldn't
attack. I made it easy for him."
Soderling, whose win meant that compatriot Bjorn Borg kept level on
four successive wins with Nadal, said he always thought he could
prevail.
"It's the biggest challenge to play the best claycourt player in
history," said the 24-year-old.
"But I had to believe I had a chance or I may as well go home. If he
thinks that he made it easy for me then that's his choice. I would never
say anything like that."
Soderling, who has battled back from a serious wrist injury, sent
down a massive 61 winners to Nadal's 33 as the champion, looking jaded
after another marathon claycourt season, struggled to get any meaningful
foothold in the tie.
Nadal's first set loss was the first time he had dropped a set in the
tournament since the 2007 final against Roger Federer, ending a run of
32 in a row.
The Spaniard was reeling from the outset as the 23rd seeded Soderling
unleashed a brutal power game based on big serving and pinpoint accuracy
with one of the event's most devastating forehands. Soderling will now
face Russian 10th seed Nikolay Davydenko, twice a semi-finalist, who
completed Spain's miserable day with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 win over eighth
seed Fernando Verdasco.
Third seed Andy Murray reached his first French Open quarter-final
with a convincing 7-5, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 win over Croatia's Marin Cilic.
The ever-improving 22-year-old Murray looked in impressive physical
condition with a series of long, punishing rallies eventually telling on
the 13th seeded Cilic, the youngest man left in the draw.
PARIS, Monday, AFP |
