Sweden’s Robin Soderling remained on course for a blockbuster final against Andy Roddick after easing past qualifier Matthew Ebden in the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International.
|Last Updated: Jan 07, 2011, 01:19 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Brisbane: Sweden’s Robin Soderling remained on course for a blockbuster final against Andy Roddick after easing past qualifier Matthew Ebden in the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International.
The Swedish top seed on Friday raised his game when it mattered against his gallant, but outclassed Australian opponent, winning 6-3, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals.
The 26-year-old Swede, runner-up at the French Open for the past two years, controlled the tie from the outset, breaking Ebden once in the first set and twice in the second.
He served beautifully throughout, making 71 per cent of his first serves and giving Ebden no opportunities to break back.
Soderling was also able to control most of the rallies, with the weight of his groundstrokes forcing errors from the 23-year-old Australian.
“I’ve been serving really, really well all week -- I haven’t been broken yet,” he said.
“Today I managed to serve well when it mattered. There were a couple of love-30 opportunities when I served really well, so I’m very happy about that.”
Roddick was equally impressive during his quarter-final against Marcos Baghdatis on Thursday, and organisers will be hoping the top two drawcards reach the final of a tournament that has lost its top three women’s seeds.
But Soderling will first have to get past former champion and 2010 runner-up Radek Stepanek, who showed why he is considered one of the most dangerous “floaters” in the draw as he beat seventh-seeded German Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-3.
The abrasive Czech won the Brisbane International in 2009 when he beat Fernando Verdasco in the decider, and pushed Roddick all the way in the 2010 final.
He now has 12 wins in 13 matches on the hard courts of the Queensland Tennis Centre and it would be no surprise if he makes it 13 wins on Saturday.
Stepanek, 32, had Mayer’s measure throughout the match, opening up a 5-1 lead in the first set and holding off a mini-fightback from the German, then breaking Mayer once in the second for a comfortable win.
“You know everything suits me here,” Stepanek said of his success in Brisbane.
“Since the first tournament here in 2009 I played very well here and had a win, and made the final in 2010 so in the back of my mind I always have confidence that everything here suits me, both on the court and off the court.”
He acknowledged he would have to step up a gear against Soderling, a player he beat in the quarter-finals in 2009 but one who has improved greatly over the intervening two years.
“To play Robin is always tough. We’ve had some great battles over the years and I don’t expect anything else and I’m looking forward to it,” Stepanek said.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.