The Hindu : Sport : Robin Soderling makes the final

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Robin Soderling makes the final

Rafael Nadal sets up a revenge showdown with the Swede

PARIS: Four-time champion Rafael Nadal stormed into his fifth French Open final on Friday to set up a mouth-watering revenge showdown with Robin Soderling, who sent him crashing to a first Paris defeat last year.

Spanish second seed Nadal, who turned 24 on Thursday, outclassed battling Austrian journeyman Jurgen Melzer 6-2, 6-3, 7-6(6) to maintain his record of not having dropped a set in this tournament.

Soderling, the Swedish fifth seed who was defeated by Roger Federer in the 2009 final, blasted past Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 in his semifinal.

Now the Swede, who put Federer out in the quarterfinal here on Wednesday, stands in the way of Nadal capturing a fifth French Open, a feat which would place the Spaniard just one behind Bjorn Borg on the all-time list.

“It was very hot today, but the ball bounces higher and there's more top spin which is good for my game,” said Nadal.

“Soderling is playing really well. I will go on court and do my best and if he beats me I will congratulate him. For sure, it will be a difficult match.”

Melzer, the first Austrian since Thomas Muster in 1995 to reach this stage, came back from losing the first two sets to defeat world No. 3 Novak Djokovic in his quarterfinal to reach his first Grand Slam semifinal. But there was to be no repeat of that miracle victory against Nadal, who has the added incentive of reclaiming the World No. 1 spot from Federer if he wins the title.

Nadal cruised through the first set in just 29 minutes with breaks in the sixth game, courtesy of a Melzer double fault, and the eighth when the Spaniard unleashed a rapier, cross-court backhand.

The 29-year-old Austrian, playing in his 29th Grand Slam, continued to struggle against the classy Nadal who quickly broke in the fourth game of the second set to lead 3-1.

Melzer managed to regain the break, but it was a brief respite as Nadal typically charged back for a 5-2 lead.

Play was briefly interrupted when a spectator fainted in the 28-degree heat. But there was no halting the Nadal assault as the former champion went on to take the second set 6-3.

Nadal broke to love in the first game of the third set with a succession of deep, razor-sharp groundstrokes which left Melzer breathless from the chase.

Melzer retrieved the break in the 10th game as Nadal served for the match.

The Austrian saved two match points in the tiebreak, the second with a nerveless drop shot, but dumped a forehand into the net on the third.

Earlier, the match between Robin Soderling and Tomas Berdych went the full distance with Soderling grabbing the vital break of serve he needed in the seventh game of the deciding set before winning the last two games to make sure.

“It was really tough to play my game today because he was hitting it so well,” Soderling said.

“I felt I was a little bit unlucky in the third set, but he played so well when it realy mattered. I had trouble with his serve.

“When I came here I was just thinking about the first round and seeing what happened and now two weeks later I am in the final again. It's unbelievable.” — Agencies

Prefix denotes seeding

Men: Singles: Semifinals: 5-Robin Soderling bt 15-Tomas Berdych 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3; 2-Rafael Nadal bt Jurgen Melzer 6-2, 6-3, 7-6(6).

Women: Doubles: Final: 1-Serena Williams & Venus Williams bt 12-Kveta Peschke & Katarina Srebotnik 6-2, 6-3 .

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