Will Hamilton: It's Tuesday June 2nd and stop the presses; Rafael Nadal has lost at the French open it's first lost ever. And he lost to Robin Soderling a previously unheralded sweep. So, how exactly did Soderling pull of this option? Let's go to a couple states and that will help us understand what exactly went on with this match. Soderling serve 64% first for serve, 61 winners 59 unfosters and 5 of 6 on break chances, Nadal was 77% for his first serve 33 winners 28 infesters and 2 of 4 on break chances.
So, Soderling hits 61 winners he makes 59 infesters and that was indicative of his overall strategy which was basically in Lehman tennis term to grip and rip it, you go out on the court you either try to hit a winner force reaction try and keep the points real shot. And Nadal's level was not, he was not at his top of his game he was down as in the side I believe Nadal is a greatest clay-court core player that ever lived and if he is at the top of his game nobody can beat him on clay-court. But he wasn't at the top of his game. So, what ended up happening was you had Nadal out there about 10 feet behind the base line, he normally sets up shot there during a neutral rally. But his ground was falling a little bit short they are falling around the service line. And against lot of players that's not always a huge liability because Nadal hits the ball higher in the net has lot of topspin so the ball kicks up really high and its tough to lot of players to handle that shot. Federer famously struggles with his one handed backhand against Nadal heavily spun topspin for him.
Well Soderling is 6, 4 he is really strong and he hits really flat ball. So he was camp in out the baseline and Nadal's balls are falling short and they were kicking up high well at 6, 4 that right in Soderling wheel house. That's exactly what he want's it that's like batting practice for him. So, he was hitting his flat balls because the ball higher over the net, he doesn't need much topspin to get the ball to drop down in to the court. So he really could go after the ball and you saw that exactly what he was doing, he was dictating play because Nadal's ground serve show little off played right into his style of play in the advantage he has as a 6,4 sweep so that was huge.
Second of all, Soderling played the big points better then Nadal, which is a little surprising, I mean when you think Nadal you think where this guys is really clutched on the big points. But it was Soderling that was coming up with the goods in the critical movements, like I said he was 5 out of 6 on break chances and Nadal was 2 of 4 which is in all 4. But what really crystalized how Nadal just didn't have his A-game, he wasn't at the top of his game and clutch in those big situations was in the four set that was 6-5. Soderling was serving to stand the set and he was down 15-30. Soderling hits the serve the points get started and Nadal hits a wide ball to Soderling's backhand. Soderling is pull off the court hits the backhand down the line its not a great shot, so now Nadal has a crosscourt backhand that he can either hit for a winner or he can hit to take complete control of the point. But him set of doing either he dumps that shot in the net and I just saw, one was the last time you remember Nadal missing a shot like that, normally expect him to make that 10 out of 10 times but he missed it and again they said me know this guy, just doesn't have his A-game. So the match really wasn't more complicated than the following three things.
First, Nadal didn't have is A-game, two Soderling played great he hit a bunch of winner thought to beat somebody if they go on the court all they do is go for winners and they make him how much you can do. And three, Soderling just played the bigger points better. I'm again if Nadal makes that backhanded 5-30 its now 5-40 Nadal has two set points and you better believe Nadal is going to pull it out if they get to offset when its all about hard and never thing else as nearly as important.
So, you know that's why Nadal is sitting home right home and Soderling is since beaten Davydenko which is little surprise, I actually thought Davydenko was going to win that match but now Soderling is going to face Fernando Gonzalez in the semifinals. So, what is this all mean for Roger Federer? This is probably now his best shot to win the French open in years. But yesterday he just quite by Tommy Haas in five sets he was down two sets to love and he ended up playing at out winning it out winning next three sets pointed out in five.
Well, you can argue that Federer has enormous amount of pressure on his shoulders now more than many of the past tournaments he has played even in grand slams because if he wins the French open now, he is probably make crown the greatest of all time in the GOAT. But if he loses he becomes the guys who couldn't step up in the pressure situation and take that mental as the greatest player of all times. So, that's pretty tall order at least pressure wise, expectation wise. And you could see his play was a little bit inconsistent maybe he was thinking about that when he was playing Haas. But he has been inconsistent the entire tournament. So it will be interesting to watch he played more feet tomorrow, in my opinion Federer should win this tournament unless he lets had given the way. Because there is not really a guy that threatens him, if Federer is playing is best and the other guys playing his best Federer should win pretty much 10 times out of 10. So, this is not Federer's tournament to lose it will be real interesting to watch. Lot of pressures on his shoulder, but I'm really looking forward to rest of this week and then end of the weekend in the finals.
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