Points won by each set: | 20-34, 33-25, 36-33, 35-29 |
Points won directly behind the serve:
32 % Soderling – 41 of 126
36 % Federer – 43 of 119
Luck was finally on Soderling’s side. It was their 13th match and the Swede left the court as a winner for the first time. In several sets before against Federer [1], he blew many chances; even when he’d won a tight set he lost another one. That time in Paris he won his third tight set vs Federer, but for the first time it was a crucial set. At *3:4 & *4:5 in the 3rd set Soderling [7] escaped from 0/30, in the 10th game he saved a set point with a backhand-overhead – arguably the toughest shot in tennis. The reward was actually immediate. He broke at 5-all (after a rain suspension) and led 2-1 in sets for the first time in their fifth match at Slams (one on the same court). There was still plausible that he’d lose in five, but the weather was beneficial for him, it was a gloomy day, very characteristic for Sweden, Soderling felt comfortably out there. He came back from 0:2* and got the decisive break at 4-all after another rain-break… Federer won their four another meetings not dropping a set to finish the rivalry at 16-1.