2010 BNP Paribas Masters: Semi-final Review – Robin Soderling vs. Michael Llodra
Fourth seeded Swede Robin Soderling ended local Michael Llodra’s brilliant and eventful run in Paris as the two met for the first semi-final match of the event.
Soderling outlasted the French in a three hour long clash securing a spot for himself in the final. This is the third final in Paris for the Swede. Having never won a title here, the Swede hopes for a win this time. He expressed
these hopes while talking to the press after the match, “It is my third final in Paris, I hope I’ll win this one.”
Llodra moved into the semi-finals after doing away with top seeds in the previous rounds. The rising local defeated sixteenth seed John Isner in the second round to meet defending champion Novak Djokovic in the third round. In
an hour long two-setter that followed, Llodra ousted the defending champion with a straight, though not so simple, win. Llodra did away with tenth seed Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the quarterfinals, again in just two sets.
Soderling did away with Gilles Simon (6-4, 6-0), Stanislas Wawrinka (7-6(3), 6-3) and Andy Roddick (7-5, 6-4) respectively to move into the semis.
Enjoying their best forms in the event, the professionals gave the fans exactly what they expected. In a classic nip and tuck battle, both professionals were going at it like there was no tomorrow. Entering the first set Soderling
tried to take the lead but Llodra, following closely at his heels, gave the Swede no breaks. With the scores tied at 4-4 and then 6-6, the match saw its first tiebreaker of the day. Although neither player caught a break in the first set, Llodra was quick
to take the lead in the tiebreaker. Denying the Swede any points in the tiebreaker, Llodra inflicted a tie-bagel on Soderling, winning it 7-0. Coming into the second set, once again both professionals were caught in a neck-to-neck race with neither getting
a break. Only when the score was tied at 5-5 did the Swede catch a break. Breaking through Llodra’s service, Soderling won the game 6-5. Excellent service and returns by Soderling in the twelfth game of the set secured him a 7-5 set win. With one set win each,
the match entered the decider. It seems there was no tiring the professionals, as they once again raced neck-to-neck in the decider taking it to the second tiebreaker of the match. This time however, Soderling was no pushover. Soderling was quick to take the
lead in the tiebreaker, leading it 4-2 at one time. Even then, Llodra just wouldn’t give up managing to take the score 5-6 in his favour. But that was the end of it, as Soderling caught a lucky break winning three consecutive points. Soderling won the decider
by 7-6(6).
Although the unseeded French put up a good fight with twenty-four aces and a loss of only twenty-eight points on service, the Swede eventually got the better of him. Although the season is over for Llodra, fans will be able to
watch him play once more before the year ends as France takes on Serbia in the Davis Cup final. While talking to the crowd, Llodra said, “I gave everything today, I was close. Obviously I am disappointed but I still have a great goal: the Davis Cup final and
we will need you.”
Soderling moves into the final to face either Gael Monfils, who defeated Roger Federer in his semi-final encounter.
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