November 26, 2009
ATP Tennis- Nadal Falls Again against Soderling at the ATP World Tour Finals
By Ally White
Robin Soderling defeated Rafael Nadal in the first Group B match of the ATP World Tour Finals in London. The Swede took the Spaniard 6-4, 6-4 this Monday in an hour and 38 minutes. Soderling, who ended Nadal’s 31-game winning streak at Roland Garros, ended the world No. 2’s hopes of toppling Roger Federer from the top of the rankings.
Prior to this final tournament of the season, Nadal had said that he was not worried about the rankings. However, what is surely a concern for him is that his game is no longer intimidating to his rivals. Physical and emotional difficulties, including tendinitis in both knees and martial trouble for his parents, have left the Spaniard debilitated; he hasn’t won a title since the Rome Masters in May.
Nadal had trouble controlling Soderling’s powerful right handed shot in the fast indoor surface of the O2 Arena; he also seemed vulnerable in service throughout the match. Soderling, who reached the tournament because of an injury to Andy Roddick, adopted the same strategy he had used at Roland Garros to eliminate the No. 2.
The Swede took every opportunity he could to unleash his lethal right, a perhaps inelegant stroke that nonetheless overwhelmed his opponent. Soderling took an early 3-0 lead in the first set after breaking Nadal’s serve. After the poor start, Nadal restructured his tactics, changing his pace and moving the ball more quickly. The change took effect, at least momentarily, as the Spaniard notched four aces – one more than his opponent – and made fewer errors, tying the set at 4-4. However, Soderling retained his service in the tenth game and used his set point to take the first set in 40 minutes with a score of 6-4.
Both players incurred more errors in the second set, but the Spaniard struck first with a break, thanks to an untimely double fault from Soderling. Nadal’s recovery never quite materialized, even though he played with high energy and aggression, and the world No. 9 responded immediately. Soderling returned to break serve in the tenth game, and even though Nadal showed a fighting spirit, hoping to extend the match with a 5-5, the Swede used another error to win the set and the match 6-4, 6-4.
At the end of the game, Nadal said that he didn’t play poorly, but nor did he have the patience he needed to oppose Soderling’s powerful game. And, as he well knows, Nadal is still not playing at his peak.
“I didn't play really bad. But in the important moments, I didn't have this calm, this necessary calm, to win these matches against the best players of the world. My level right now I think is not to be No. 1. My level is to be still fighting and practicing hard to be ready as soon as possible to compete another time with equal conditions with everybody,” said the world No.2.
Soderling, on the other hand, was unsurprisingly pleased about his second win over Rafa.
“It feels better to beat world number two than world number 200. So I always enjoy beating good players than lower-ranked players. But me, personally, I have nothing against Rafa. As I said, we played a lot of times and we always had good matches. I always enjoy playing against him," said Soderling.
About the Author
Ally White is a top senior copywriter for the international tennis games as well as the top ranking online sports betting site: www.instantactionsports.com/uk/
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