Soderling in photos.

Highlights Soderling vs Nadal Roland Garros 2009.

Federer is one week away from tying Pete Sampras’ record of 286 total weeks.

ONE freaking week. If Nadal stays true to his form and knees AND wins Roland Garros the prospect of Federer never making up that seven day shortfall appears real and highly probable. From Federer’s perspective the milestone may not be as vital (considering he has won practically everything else) as it may be for ‘being looted and in short supply’ Sampras. That will leave Sampras with just two worthwhile records: Six straight years as year end No. 1 and most weeks at No. 1.

Those two prizes will receive an incredible boost with the footnote that even Federer was unable to beat them. In Sampras’s mind that may be enough to keep him floating around the GOAT building and possibly deny Federer the ‘undisputed’ plate as he can point to Agassi while referencing Nadal.

Will Soderling win a Slam this season?

Djokovic is toast?

Even if he wins over Nadal, Soderling is looking way too strong for him. Bad news? That’s not just for this event, it’s for the rest of his career firmly locking that ‘one Slam wonder’ bracelet around his neck forever. Djokovic will be gasping for air right after the coin toss just knowing what’s about to come down.

Helzer Pelzer may be able to capitalize on that dreadful fact if he plays his instrument intelligently. It will be one less obstacle for Nadal, unless he is shaking harder than even Djokovic. I mean if a ‘in best shape’ Federer cannot match Soderling how can a oxygen tank carrying hospital patient survive this onslaught. Soderling has to be on such a high currently that everybody across the net must be looking like a midget and the ball like a watermelon.

Besides, Djokovic has been stumbling mightily having lost three sets already to clowns like Korolev, Hanescu and Ginepri. Soderling will be like throwing him in a pool filled with ice water from his tomato can infested air conditioned mud hut, if Nadal doesn’t take care of it before that happens.

Berdych looks a far worthier competitor today than Djokovic vis a vis Soderling. It may even come down to this Berdych-Soderling match being the thriller of the tournament.

Federer’s semifinal streak is one of the greatest in sports history.

Click here.

If Nadal wins FO and claims No. 1 rank, will Federer reclaim the top rank again to beat Sampras’s record?

What all was on the line for Federer against Soderling and beyond here.

-Calendar Slam.

-No. 1 rank.

-Semifinal streak at Slams.

-Salvaging last year’s FO win without Nadal.

-Second title of the season.

-Argument that he is all about Slams.

-Five set domination.

-Easing up on beating up Mirka.

-Second FO / Wimbledon combo?

-Softening up of H2H against Nadal.

Interesting concurrence of opinion. From Rick. Thanks.

RICK

Interesting concurrence of opinion.

SODERLING:

Q. You mentioned you have to play in any conditions. What was it really like? Was it sloppy underfoot? Did the balls get very heavy?

ROBIN SODERLING: The balls got heavy. I think I played good matches in these kind of conditions in the past, and I think it suits my game pretty well. It was a little bit slower, but I managed to serve really well and take the ball early. It helped me a lot.

Q. Swedish conditions, eh?
ROBIN SODERLING: Yeah.

Q. When one thinks about clay court tennis, often one thinks of a player with great wheels, great defensive skills, maybe a big topspin forehand, run down all the balls, hang in there forever. Could you talk about your game, how it maybe is different and how it matched up today against Roger?

ROBIN SODERLING: Well, yeah. Maybe I don’t have the typical clay court game, but I think I can do well on every surface. Actually, I think I kind of like the slower surface a little bit more than the really fast ones. The last couple of years I played better and better on clay. So when I serve like this and when I’m feeling like I’m hitting the ball well like this, you know, I think maybe clay is my almost my best surface.

FEDERER:

Q. You were 12 0 against him. What did he do today that really bothered you on the court?

ROGER FEDERER: He played really well, you know, for almost an entire match, really. I’m not blaming the conditions or anything, but I think they were in his favor towards the end. Because, I mean, these were some serious, tough conditions, you know. If you serve 225, 230, you can still hit through the court on the serve. I may be lacking those 5 to 10ks extra on the serve to hit through a guy on the serve, but that’s the way conditions are. I can’t complain, because it was the same for both of us. But of course I’m disappointed to having sort of lost three matches in the rain on clay this season: in Estoril, in Rome, and now here again. So I just couldn’t come up with the plays when I had to today.

Q. Once you got in the rallies, do you think the lower bounce because of the heavier conditions favored him over you?

ROGER FEDERER: Look, I don’t mind slow clay. When it gets rainy, it’s tough, you know. Not only for me, but for the opponent too, usually. It’s not a lot of fun for the fans either, and for us, the players, it’s hard, you know, because you never know when it’s gonna be interrupted.
You know, your mind starts wandering. It was tough conditions. I guess today they favored him, but I really felt like he played great. He was able to hit consistently through the ball, and on the offensive I put them close to the lines. That’s something, you know, that was impressive.

What’s Nadal thinking right about now?

He must be glad that Berdych (who has not lost a set yet) and Soderling are going to beat up each other BEFORE hopefully meeting him. He would love to find a way to ensure the infighting is long, hard and brutal. With the losses Nadal had last year against tree tops like Delpo and Soderling, he has to be concerned despite his mended form and body this season. That loopy top-spin-laden forehand of Nadal lands dead center on the wheelhouse of these tall people who have pulverized that stroke with utter disdain and disrespect.

Even with the improved Nadal, it’s hard to imagine if that dynamic is going to get altered in any significant manner to shift the paradigm in Nadal’s favor. After all, it’s Nadal’s bread and butter with very little in the form of plan B. Add the booming serves and flatter shots and you suddenly start losing that time needed to effectively execute your favorite shot. If Federer, who does not have a huge back swing or a ‘set in stone’ stroke portfolio, can be rushed, you can bet Nadal will be made to feel the same – many times over.

With Djokovic and Soderling looming ahead, Almagro, the immediate peanut to be crushed, suddenly begins to assume the trappings of a ‘trap’ match. Federer’s absence instantly takes away the ‘certainty’ factor removing some of the comfort these situations provide. Nadal may be far more confident of beating Djokovic and Federer back to back than Djokovic and Soderling, just for the history Nadal has with Soderling off the court – without even including Soderling’s on court antics lately.

The degree of difficult for Nadal just shot up a few notches with Federer’s departure. But this is also his chance to exact revenge from last year. What better way to send that message than defeating Soderling right after his impressive win over a 100% Federer. But Nadal cannot allow himself to dwell that far into the draw yet because two really hungry cats are in wait and hoping that Nadal’s ’fatigue’ guillotine comes down crashing just before / during their match.

Bottom line: Federer’s exit may have pushed Nadal further into the forest than what was otherwise expected. Or not?

Can’t we just hand some bills to Almagro and Djokovic and get the show moving already?

Berdych talks after beating Youzhny.

Click here.

Soderling talks after beating Federer.

Click here.

Soderling ends Federer’s streak at Slams – emphatically.

Federer’s shiniest ace up his sleeve has been his unshakable confidence in winning ALL five-set format matches on ANY surface – as long as someone named Tafa Bafa is not across the net. That has been his sole shoulder this season on which to somehow rationalize the losses he has had against relatively unknown players. All seven losses this year had come in a three-set format. This could easily be the most devastating five-set format loss of Federer’s career narrowly tipping the AO loss to Safin in the semis. All other losses to Tafa don’t count for obvious reasons. Even though it was clay it still doesn’t justify Soderling’s great form coming in as sufficient material to not get worried over. Like Woody said to Buzz in Toy Story when Buzz says “This is not the time to panic”. Woody “This IS the perfect time to panic”.

If Federer takes this wake up call nonchalantly like he appears to have so far, he will be doing it at his own extreme peril. All the losses he has had uptil now can now claim to have a common thread which even an immovable five-set format couldn’t overcome. Further, he has now lost to eight different players eliminating the Nadal factor that took brunt of the blame in prior years for match up issues. You cannot but lay the blame today on the absolute absence of killer instinct. Just watching the match will have you coming away knowing categorically who possessed that winning trait today.

Federer had seven opportunities to break to nine for Soderling. Federer converted just two of them for a mere 29 percent. In a match with so much riding on it – from the No. 1 rank to semifinal streak etc. – it’s inexcusable to allow so many ‘on the platter’ openings to go begging. Granted Soderling was Delpoesque but you did extend that US Open final match to five sets at least in contrast to losing three straight sets. You had to expect the adrenaline rush and the consequent inspired play from your opponent after he won the second set AND be ready to match it with an even greater flow from your end. That was Federer’s time to respond like a great he is. Even Soderling must have been expecting it. But when it failed to materialize it emboldened Soderling out of his freaking mind consequently unleashing some of the best tennis he has EVER produced. He HAS to credit Federer more than his own self for the tennis he himself must have been stunned to witness.

Federer has narrowed the lane down to grass now. With five-set format now out the window, can grass single-handedly overcome the nakedness Federer is now facing on the tour? One by one almost all cards have fallen off his table from hard courts to clay courts to three-set matches to Masters 1000 events to Slams. The only way the pain from this loss can now be mitigated is IF Soderling can stop Nadal in the final to ‘allow’ him a shot at Sampras’s record and have some of explaining the defeat in some way like Sampras did for Richard Krajicek (for rock people, Krajicek defeated Sampras at Wimbledon in the quarters and then went on to win the title).

Maybe the progression through the early rounds took its toll too. Soderling clearly came in with better showing on paper leaving just the ‘match up’ issues against Federer as the only way to falsify his previous record here. It never happened despite the H2H numbers and whatever else further validating Soderling and his run as the real deal while confirming Federer’s woes and stats as weak and true representative of what’s really happening.

Will there be some kind of warning before this thing explodes so I can still exist?

More photos.

Federer interview after losing to Soderling. From Sarah. Thanks.

SARAH

Day 10 – Roger Federer
Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Q. Two hours after the match, tell me something about the emotions. You must be very disappointed.
ROGER FEDERER: Well, disappointed to a certain degree. You know, I don’t think I played a bad match, so it’s easier to go out this way, I think.
Conditions obviously were on the rougher side for both of us, and I thought he came up with some great tennis.
You know, it’s a touch easier to digest this way.

Q. In any case, before the stop you had a set point, so it could have been another story, or he started playing flat?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, best of five set matches you always get chances, and I definitely had those at, what was it, 5 4, Love 30? I mean, he missed a forehand that was close to go up at Love 30, and then he had a forehand that just touches the line a little bit to go maybe Love 40 instead of, you know, 15 30. So that’s obviously a big change.
The backhand smash he hit he catches with the frame a little bit, you know. I mean, that was kind of a hard shot to hit, I thought. That kind of shot from my side with the smash and stuff is very unusual.
So hit it well, you know. But he played aggressive and kept on coming. When the conditions got more heavy when we came back from the rain delay, he played well, you know.
That was a tough set for me to lose after having those chances and being up 40 15 on my serve when I came back.

Q. You have, of course, the great semifinal streak that is now broken. What does that mean to you? Obviously all good things come to an end at some point.
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, like you say, they all come to an end at some stage. You hope they don’t happen, but they do.
No, I mean, it was a great run. Now I’ve got the quarterfinal streak going, I guess. (laughter.)
No, I mean, it’s been an amazing run. I think it sort of started here when I lost to Kuerten back in ’04, I guess it is. If then I could have signed for all those semis in a row, I would have done it right away.
I’ve made, how you say, incredible progress in terms of my play at the highest of level to be able to always come back and play semis after semis after semis in Slams and give myself chances to win in Slams. I was able to win many of them.
I was proud to have that streak, and it’s probably one of the greatest ones I have in my, you know, history books, really, for me.

Q. Secondly, the difference between the Robin you saw last year here and today, was it significant?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I think conditions were even harder today. I mean, I think last year’s match was difficult for both of us. You know, I had a good start again today, which was the case as well last year.
You know, I mean, at times I guess I could have played a bit better. He served well. I didn’t take my chances early on in the second set. And then in the third set as well.
So I just missed too many chances today, which I didn’t do last year, and I was able to run away with it. Today I couldn’t do that.

Q. You were 12 0 against him. What did he do today that really bothered you on the court?
ROGER FEDERER: He played really well, you know, for almost an entire match, really.
I’m not blaming the conditions or anything, but I think they were in his favor towards the end. Because, I mean, these were some serious, tough conditions, you know. If you serve 225, 230, you can still hit through the court on the serve.
I may be lacking those 5 to 10ks extra on the serve to hit through a guy on the serve, but that’s the way conditions are. I can’t complain, because it was the same for both of us.
But of course I’m disappointed to having sort of lost three matches in the rain on clay this season: in Estoril, in Rome, and now here again.
So I just couldn’t come up with the plays when I had to today.

Q. Did you have any feeling going into today’s match that you might not win?
ROGER FEDERER: I mean, I respect everyone, but I’m always, how do you say? I’m honest enough to myself that I know I can win them all. I felt confident going into the match knowing that if I play well, if I play solid, I’d probably win this match.

Q. Once you got in the rallies, do you think the lower bounce because of the heavier conditions favored him over you?
ROGER FEDERER: Look, I don’t mind slow clay. When it gets rainy, it’s tough, you know. Not only for me, but for the opponent too, usually. It’s not a lot of fun for the fans either, and for us, the players, it’s hard, you know, because you never know when it’s gonna be interrupted.
You know, your mind starts wandering. It was tough conditions. I guess today they favored him, but I really felt like he played great. He was able to hit consistently through the ball, and on the offensive I put them close to the lines. That’s something, you know, that was impressive.

Q. As you look inside yourself, what is worse for you: having been beaten in quarterfinals and have no chance to win another Grand Slam title, or let the chance open to lose the No. 1?
ROGER FEDERER: I mean, you just take the defeat as it is. You don’t think of the consequences. I guess most disappointed I am that I can’t defend my title here. I really felt like my tennis was good enough to come here and do it again, but that was not the case today.
So it’s more the disappointment in having maybe not delivered my very best performance today, conditions and opponents didn’t allow me to.
And, yeah, then you move on. You know, you move on to the grass and forget a little bit.

Q. Do you think that Robin can go all the way this year?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, once you’re in the semifinals, there’s four players that can go all the way. Counts for him too; he was in the finals here last year.
If he makes the finals again, he’ll feel more comfortable, you know, in that kind of a situation, a position. Maybe he’ll play a better final. Who knows?
But he definitely has a chance, yeah.

Q. You had obviously, you know, a great turnaround in Australia and then the break. I’m just wondering if you ever felt you had your A clay game on this spring? Were there times when you felt you had it, or did you always feel like you were sort of searching for it throughout the spring?
ROGER FEDERER: I felt like I found my game when I arrived in Madrid, really. Felt like my game was good enough again. That’s why I was very happy with my play over there. I was very happy with my play here this week.
You can’t really practice with these kind of conditions. You just take them the way they come, you know. That’s why it’s disappointing.
And honestly, I don’t look too deep into why I lost today. For me, it’s very clear very quickly. That’s why I think I can move away from this rather fast and concentrate on the grass season coming up.
THE MODERATOR: French questions, please.

Q. Have you ever played such a big hitter as Soderling today?
ROGER FEDERER: Yes.

Q. Who?
ROGER FEDERER: Del Potro. You’ve forgotten him because he’s injured.

Q. What’s the feeling when you have such a powerful ball in your racquet?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, it can be pleasant and unpleasant because you have less to do and you can’t play your game, you can’t impose your game.
As for me, I’m strong on both sides if I have to attack and if I have to defend and take the speed of the other player. That’s why I had such a good record against him.
So not too much of a problem for me, but today he played very well. He was impressive.

Q. Would the conditions prevent you from varying your shots as much as you would have liked to?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, slightly. But then I did what I wanted to do. I just missed some opportunities at the end of the second set, beginning of the third. The rain was not very helpful.
I was one break up in the fourth, and, well, I lost three sets; this is what I did. That’s why it’s frustrating leaving the tournament like that.
But at the end of the day, he needs to take credit. He played incredibly well from the beginning to the end and in very difficult conditions.
So it’s a bit of a shame. The conditions were what they were, but he deserves it. He played very well.

Photos.



Weather man’s prediction on how long the rain will last.

Click freaking here.