1 Response to masters09delpotro_soderling

1. Voo de Mar says:

   November 29, 2025 at 4:00 pm

   Points won by each set: | 36-40, 30-21, 39-35 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   40 % Del Potro – 40 of 98
   37 % Soderling – 39 of 103

   The two tallest Top 10 players at the time (Del Potro 199 cm, Soderling 6 cm shorter) and very similar way of thinking about tennis which Roddick initiated at the beginning of the decade, based on two strokes: powerful serves and big forehands, yet much flatter forehands than in Roddick’s case. Del Potro [5] looked better in the opener, but squandered break points in two games and played a disastrous tie-break losing it 1/7 in the consequence of casual errors. Another tie-break was on the horizon in the 2nd set when Soderling [9] made a typical error from a tactical point of view; at *3:4 (40/30) instead of allowing to be lobbed, he chased the ball in a forwards-backwards rapid motion, made an error, and paid the price for the oxygen debt losing another two points quickly to be broken for the first time. In the 3rd set he led 4:2* (30/15) when his three errors helped Del Potro to break back. The Argentinian served firmly twice to stay in the match (4 and 3 points away from defeat) and opened the deciding tie-break winning the longest rally of the semifinal (backhand winner DTL in a 24th stroke). He won another long rally to lead 6:2 and finished it 7/3 with an ace 214 kph out-wide – the speed which Soderling was delivering on a regular basis throughout the match at serving. Del Potro didn’t hit either volley or overhead for 2 hours 11 minutes (he produced one half-volley though)!

   Serve & volley: Del Potro 0, Soderling 1/2

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