2011 ABN AMRO World Tennis: Soderling and Baghdatis sail through
Top seed, Robin Soderling made it into his third straight quarterfinal in Rotterdam on Thursday when he defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber to clinch a spot in the final eight.
Meeting Kohlschreiber for the fourth time in his career, Soderling trailed the head to head by 0-3. However, surviving a mid match lapse Soderling was able to clinch three set victory against the German.
Serving in the opener, Soderling recorded an impressive 82% winning percentage on his first serve as opposed to Kohlschreiber’s 53%. Dominating the court in the first set, the Swede managed to convert two of three break opportunities to clinch a 6-3 win
for himself.
Winning the first set as expected, many believed Soderling to clinch an easy victory in the second set to move on ahead. However, the German was not willing to give up without a fight. Fighting back, Kohlschreiber engaged the Swede in a neck to neck run.
Saving three of three break points, Kohlschreiber was able to keep the score tied. Only on the eleventh game did the German finally managed to convert a break opportunity to clinch a 7-5 win for himself.
With one set win each the match was pushed into the decider. The German continued his onslaught against the Swede keeping the score tied at all times. The tooth and nail battle between the two pushed the set into a tiebreaker. Leading the tiebreaker 6-4,
an unforced error on Soderling’s part made him lose the advantage. However, the Swede was able to clinch a 9-7 win.
Commenting on his win in the tiebreaker, Soderling said, “It was the third time we played a tie-break in the third set and I think he beat me two times before, saving match points, and now it was my turn to save match points.”
In a match that lasted almost two and a half hours, Soderling struck a resounding total of sixteen aces and lost only twenty six of ninety six points on service.
Joining Soderling in the quarter-final round is the unseeded Cypriot, Marcos Baghdatis. Having defeated second seeded Andy Murray in the first round, Baghdatis carried his form into his second round match against Feliciano Lopez.
A hard fought battle between the two professionals pushed the first set into a tiebreaker. However, the hard hitting Cypriot was able to secure an early lead as he won the tiebreaker 7-3.
Maintaining his form in the second set, Baghdatis recorded an 89% winning percentage on his first serve. Successfully converting one of two break opportunities and losing only nine of thirty points on service, Baghdatis was able to clinch a 6-3 win in the
second set.
Winning the match, Baghdatis said, “This match was a tricky one... playing Lopez, a player that doesn’t give you rhythm, serves well and likes to play in these conditions. What I did well today was take my chances in the tie-break and in the second set,
the same thing.”
Baghdatis moves on ahead to play Ivan Ljubicic in the quarter-final while Soderling takes on Mikhail Youzhny in a rematch of the 2010 final.
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