BNP Paribas Masters - Soderling beats Monfils, captures his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Bercy
The professional tennis ace from Sweden Robin Soderling will go into the season-ending finale in London as one of the top seeds after capturing his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown on Sunday with a two-setter win over Gael Monfils of France in the
title battle of the 2010 BNP Paribas Masters Men’s singles tournament in Bercy. The final match score was 6-1, 7-6(1).
He receieved1000 South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking points as winner on Sunday. The right hander as a result of this victory has also climbed to a career high number four in the world. The Tibro native is the first player from Sweden to grab one of the
coveted ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles since Thomas Enqvist overpowered Tim Henman at Cincinnati back in 2000.
“It feels great. I do not have a very good record in finals, and particularly here in Paris. I lost two finals at French Open. Of course it is great to reach the final in a Grand Slam and also in a Masters 1000, but I think a final is that one match you
really want to win. I am really happy that I played well today, and now I am here winning the title,” explained the 2-time French Open finalist Robin after his victory in Bercy.
The 26-year-old Robin by virtue of his win has registered his name as the fifth contender in 2010 to win an ATP World Tour trophy after being match point down, having prevented three match points versus Michael Llorda in the final four round.
Against his French opponent in the final, the Swede did well to take a lead of one set, only losing six points on his serve and breaking Gaels’ serve on two occasions in twenty six minute opener. Gaels improved his level of game in the following set to give
some tough time to Soderling, however, in the decisive tie-break, the new World number four, quickly seized the initiative and as a result sealed win in the end. The battle concluded in a time period of seventy seven minutes.
Robin captured his second ATP World Tour crown of the year and sixth overall. Earlier in 2010, he had won an indoor competition in Rotterdam and also made his way into the final of French Open on the second occasion in a row, falling to the world number
one Rafael Nadal. He also finished as finalist in Bastad and Barcelona and has complied a win/loss mark of 56-20 on the season.
World number 14, Monfils on the other hand, reached the title battle in Bercy for the second straight season after posting one of the best victories of his career in the semi final round earlier where he prevented five match points to topple the world number
two Roger Federer. He was dismissed in a three-setter clash by Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the final back in 2009.
"I am in a learning process. Every time I get to a final like this something goes wrong, and this time it was the preparation. I had to rush too much. And also, at one stage in the match I tried to change my plan. I should maybe not have done that and keep
with simple things,” lamented Gaels after losing on Sunday.
The 24-year-old was attempting to record his name as the fifth contender from France to capture an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown and dropped to a 3-10 career mark in ATP World Tour finals.
The Paris native will likely end his year in three weeks time if he is called upon to represent his country in the final of the Davis Cup versus Serbia in Belgrade.
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