Robin Soderling blasted his way past Tomas Berdych into the French Open final yesterday
Robin Soderling blasted his way past Tomas Berdych into the French Open final yesterday.
The towering Swedish player won a bruising encounter 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 and on Sunday he will go up against either four-times former winner Rafael Nadal of Spain or Austrian surprise packet Jurgen Melzer for the title.
"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 really 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."
Berdych said that he had felt he was facing an uphill battle after losing his serve in the first set.
"He played well and he played his game -- aggressive -- and he served well and because of that he won," he said.
"If he plays Rafa (in the final), he is the only one to beat him here so he has a big chance."
Two of the tallest men and biggest hitters in tennis, Soderling and Berdych had met eight times previously with the Swede leading the series 5-3.
As expected, the final four showdown quickly developed into a deadly exchange of big serves and rasping groundstrokes down both flanks on a sun-bathed Philippe Chatrier centre-court.
