Bernard Tomic upsets Robin Soderling in the third round – Wimbledon Championships 2011
Australian, qualifier Bernard Tomic, ranked 158th in the world, produced the biggest upset of his career as he defeated world number 5 Robin Soderling of Sweden in straight sets 6-1, 6-4, 7-5 in the third round of Wimbledon
Championships at the All England Club in London on Saturday. The match lasted for an hour and 52 minutes.
Tomic came roaring into the match as he broke Soderling in the second and fourth game of the first set, racing to a 5-0 lead. The Swede managed to avoid a bagel set, holding his serve in the sixth game and reducing Tomic’s lead
to 5-1. The Australian did not drop any more games in the first set, winning it 6-1.
The 18-year-old hit four aces and eleven winners in the opening set. Tomic won an amazing 100 percent of the second service points. On the other hand, Soderling failed to win even a single point on the second serve in the first
set. The Swede looked rusty as he hit just three winners and made four unforced errors. The six feet and four inches tall failed in saving both break points he faced in the opening set.
Tomic carried the winning momentum into the second set and broke the Swede in the fifth game, holding his serve in the next game and taking a 4-2 lead. The Australian did not lose the advantage, claiming the set 6-4.
Soderling could not convert any of the three break points he received and did not save one of the three break points he faced in the second set.
In the third set, Tomic and Soderling held their serve in the first ten games and squared off the score at 5-5. The Australian broke his opponent in the eleventh game and served out the set at 6-5.
The right-handed won all the three net approach points in the third set. The Gold Coast resident delivered eleven winners and five aces in the third set.
Tomic said, after the match, "I really came in today giving myself a chance. I think I played really relaxed in the first set. I didn't think I could win at the start. But the way I was playing, I was questioning myself. [And]
after that first set, it opened up a lot of doors."
The Australian added, "It's probably most definitely the best achievement that I've done so far. I'll always remember this is the first time I've really done well at a Grand Slam."
The teenager will face world number 42 Xavier Malisse of Belgium in the fourth round.
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