2010 BNP Paribas Masters: Andy Roddick versus Robin Soderling – Match Preview
A total of four quarter final matches will be contested at the 2010 BNP Paribas Masters Men’s singles competition on Friday.
First up on Court Central is the American tennis ace Andy Roddick, who will take on Robin Soderling of Sweden for a berth in the final four in Paris. Both of them have already made their way into the elite eight man field in London, which is set to start
later this month. The American stormed into the quarter final round here after posting a two set victory over Ernest Gulbis of Latvia. The final match score was 6-3, 7-6(8). Soderling, on the other hand, advanced into the final eight with a hard fought victory
over Stanislas Wawrinka.
Roddick, the top American, enjoys a win loss mark of 12-5 in Bercy. He opened his account with a two setter win over Jarkko Nieminen of Finland. The final match score was 6-1, 6-4. The American posted his best result here by reaching the semi final round
back in 2003 before losing to Henman. He was also a quarter finalist here back in 2002, 2007 as well as two years ago.
The Austin resident has so far won a total of two ATP World Tour singles crown in 2010 at Brisbane, beating Stepanek and ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami where he got the better of Tomas Berdych in the final. Roddick also advanced into the title battle
in San Jose and Indian Wells earlier this season.
The right hander has already qualified for the elite eight man field in London on the eighth occasion in a row. World number eight enters with a match record of 47-14 on the year and is 4-1 against the top ten players in 2010. He is coming off his seventh
final four appearance this season at the Swiss Indoors Basel Men’s singles tournament last week where he was toppled by the eventual winner Roger Federer.
He fell out of the top ten back in August at number eleven on the first occasion since 2006.
The top Swedish tennis sensation, Robin Soderling, on the other hand comes in with a lifetime mark of 6-4 in Paris. He made his way into the quarter final round in his debut appearance at the BNP Paribas Masters back in 2004 as well as last year.
The 25-year-old last week couldn’t go beyond the semi final round at Valencia Open as he was overpowered by David Ferrer. The right hander, who is currently ranked number five in the South African Airways ATP list, is 1-3 in the finals in 2010.
He is one of the five contenders on the ATP World Tour this year to record at least fifty clash victories this year. The Swede owns a win loss mark of 51-20 on the season and has advanced into the quarter final or better in his last six competitions.
Soderling was a quarterfinalist at the United States Open, Shanghai, Beijing a well as Stockholm. His last title battle came in July at Bastad where he finished as finalist to Nicolas Almagro.
The Swede jumped into the top ten on the first occasion back in 2009 and has never fallen out since then.
It would be their third encounter of the year, having previously met twice at the Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Cincinnati. Their year to date head to head series is 2-0 with Roddick enjoying the lead this season. However, the pair’s lifetime mark
is tied since Soderling has knocked down Roddick on two occasions back in 2008.
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