2011 ABN AMRO World Tennis: Robin Soderling defeats Mikhail Youzhny
Defending champion, Robin Soderling moved one step further in his title defence at the 2011 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament on Friday. He defeated the sixth seeded Russian ace, Mikhail Youzhny in a rematch of the 2010 final in Rotterdam.
The number one Swede, playing in his fourth year here, moved into the final four for the third straight year after doing away with Youzhny in straight sets. Leading the career head to head 4-1 previously, Soderling was able to extend his winning streak to
five games against the Russian.
Playing their quarterfinal match, Soderling did justice to his world number four ranking as he recorded an impressive 80% first serve winning percentage, dominating the Russian from the start. Soderling gave an impressive performance in the first set striking
five aces to Youzhny’s three and successfully saving four of four break points. Converting one of two break opportunities, Soderling was able to clinch a 6-4 win in the first and go one up in the set score.
Lagging the set score seemed to have made an impression on Youzhny, who brought out his full form on the court in the second set. Fighting back hard, Youzhny kept the score tied at all times and refuse to give up any break opportunities to the Swede. Ultimately
the set was pushed into a tiebreaker. A neck to neck run in the tiebreaker kept the score tied for ten points. An unforced error by Youzhny on the eleventh point gave Soderling the break he needed. Winning the next point on service, Soderling was able to clinch
the tiebreaker 7-5 and in effect the match.
Taking almost two hours, Soderling struck a resounding total of thirteen aces and losing only 30 of 87 points on service secured a spot for himself in the final four.
Commenting on his performance, Soderling said, “It was another tough one. Even though I played a long one yesterday [against Philipp Kohlschreiber] I felt fine on court today. I had a lot of energy and I really had to play well today. I really like it here;
every time I come back here I feel confident and it’s a surface that suits my game.”
Meeting Soderling in the semi-finals is the Serbian Davis Cup hero, Viktor Troicki. The only unseeded player to make it into the final four, Troicki defeated Croat giant Marin Cilic in straight sets.
Trailing the head to head 1-5, Troicki had the odds stacked against him. However, the in-form fighting Serb wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Engaged in a neck to neck run in the first set, Troicki saved eight of nine break points and successfully converted two of three break opportunities to clinch a close 7-5 win in the opener.
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