Nadal Passes Soderling Test

© Getty ImagesRafael Nadal is chasing a second Roland Garros-Wimbledon double.

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal overcame a slow start to advance to the semi-finals of The Championships with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-1 victory over Robin Soderling at Wimbledon on Wednesday. Nadal also defeated the Swede in the Roland Garros final three and a half weeks ago.

“I am feeling great,” declared Nadal afterwards. “For me to be in the semi-finals once more is a dream. It is very important for me after the clay-court season and I am feeling better every day.” Nadal next will face home favourite Andy Murray, who also advanced in four sets against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

"I know I gonna have difficult match against Andy in semi-finals, but I am ready to try my best and for try for sure to be in this final," said Nadal. "Is gonna be difficult, but I am playing well."

The Spaniard is looking to repeat the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double he achieved two years ago, when he lifted the Wimbledon crown in an epic five-set finale with rival Roger Federer. He was unable to defend his crown at the All England Club last year, due to suffering from tendonitis in both his knees.

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In the eagerly anticipated clash, it was Soderling who started the faster of the two. The Tibro native, who had defeated Nadal in two of their past three meetings, raced to a 5-0 lead in just 18 minutes, and had a point for a bagel first set before Nadal settled into the match and was able to recoup one of the service breaks. Asked to serve for the set again at 5-3, Soderling did not falter as murmurs of a second upset, following Roger Federer’s demise, began to filter around Court One.

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“I started so-so,” said Nadal. “Robin was playing very powerful shots and so it was difficult for me to have control of the points.”

In a nervy start to the second set, Nadal saved a break point in the first game before turning the tables on Soderling, breaking the Swede’s serve in the following game before going on to level the match with a love service game in the ninth game.

The 25-year-old Soderling, who is a two-time Roland Garros runner-up, was frustrated to lose his serve in the fifth game of the second set as a result of a wayward forehand, but was able to get back on level terms when Nadal came to serve for the set. The Mallorcan double faulted at 30/30 before placing a forehand wide to lose his advantage. He recovered in the subsequent tie-break, though, and won it 7-4 to secure a two-sets-to-one lead.

Buoyed by his success in the third set, Nadal’s confidence grew and he dominated Soderling in the fourth set, breaking serve in the fourth and sixth games before sealing victory in two hours and 43 minutes.

"After the first game of the second set, everything changed," said Nadal. "I think I started to play much better. He started to do a few mistakes, because in the beginning he didn't have any. I'm very happy. Very difficult and very important win for me."

"I think the difference was that he returned a little bit better than me," assessed Soderling. "I was a little bit frustrated today because I didn't put many returns in. Of course, he served pretty well. But it's not like I'm playing one of the best servers on tour. I have to at least put some more returns back in play. During the second and third sets, I had my chances. I didn't really take them. So I think that was the biggest difference."

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Nadal ended an 11-month title drought with victory at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (d. Verdasco) in April and went on to complete a historic clay sweep, triumphing at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments in Rome (d. Ferrer) and Madrid (d. Federer) before winning his fifth Roland Garros crown. The left-hander’s 24-match winning streak ended at The Queen’s Club three weeks ago, when he lost to Feliciano Lopez in the quarter-finals.

Soderling, the lone Swedish participant in the men’s singles draw, was contesting his first Wimbledon quarter-final. In addition to his runner-up effort at Roland Garros, the right-hander also won his fifth ATP World Tour title in Rotterdam (d. Youzhny) and reached the final in Barcelona (l. to Verdasco) earlier in the year.