rg09soderling_nadal

Points won by each set: | 30-21, 44-46, 29-24, 40-37 |
Points won directly behind the serve:
17 % Soderling – 25 of 143
15 % Nadal – 20 of 128

One of the biggest upsets in the French Open history, even more impressive in retrospect: Nadal [1], the 4-time Roland Garros champion prior to that match, claimed the French Open title also five times in succession after that stunning defeat! Before losing to Soderling the Spaniard had won in Paris 31 consecutive matches (including 32-set winning streak!) and 39 matches afterwards, manufacturing an extraordinary 70-1 record just before he was severely beaten by Djokovic in the 2015 quarter-final.
Soderling [25] in the match of his life, demonstrated huge serve (first delivery quite often around 220 km/h) and lethal forehand but his weakest department (playing at the net) was tremendous on that day as well, which can be interpreted as a key to his 3-hour 30-minute success. That victory turned into a game-changer in career of the 25-year-old Swede – he won another two matches, advanced to the final and stepped onto another level becoming an elite player for two years after several rather disappointing years when he’d been considering only as a dangerous floater with weak mentality. Against Nadal, except sheer power & accuracy, he also displayed mental strength, actually twice: first time as he kept his composure despite losing the long 2nd set being two points away from winning it, second time in the 4th set as he trailed *4:5 (15/30) against the guy who seemed unbeatable in five-setters at the time (especially on clay).

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