Soderling Wins Second Bastad Title

© SkiStar Swedish OpenRobin Soderling has won his fourth ATP World Tour title of the year.

Top-seeded Swede Robin Soderling produced a stellar performance to beat No. 2 seed David Ferrer of Spain 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday to capture his second SkiStar Swedish Open title in three years.

World No. 5 Soderling, appearing in his third straight Bastad final, earned 250 South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings points and €72,600 in prize money, with victory in just 69 minutes. It was his fourth ATP World Tour title of the season. He is now 10-10 overall in title matches.

"It has been a great week for me," said Soderling. "I am really satisfied with the way I played, from the first point to the last point in this tournament. I played really good tennis and played my best tennis at the most important moments. It has been a dream week.

"I feel really good. Now finally, my body feels good. I struggled a little bit with some injuries the past couple of months. My confidence is really good. I am going to work hard now and hopefully I can do well in the [United] States."

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The start of the pair's 14th meeting was delayed due to rain, but at 4:33 p.m. local time, action got underway on Centre Court. Soderling broke Ferrer to 15 in the first game and to 30 in the seventh game, before he clinched the 30-minute opener when Ferrer hit a backhand return into the net. Soderling lost five points on his serve and hit three aces in the first set.

Soderling could have taken a 5-0 second-set lead, but Ferrer saved three break points before securing his fifth game point. The Spaniard, who beat Nicolas Almagro for the 2007 title, broke Soderling to 15 in the next game. But Soderling regained his composure to break serve for a fifth time in the match. An ace, followed by a forehand winner earned Soderling his 38th match win of the year.

The 26-year-old Soderling lost just 13 games in four matches at the ATP World Tour 250 clay-court tournament this week. In 2009, he beat Juan Monaco for the title and was runner-up to Almagro last year.

Soderling has also won ATP World Tour titles at the Brisbane International (d. Roddick), the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam (d. Tsonga) and the Open 13 in Marseille (d. Cilic) so far this season, compiling a 38-9 record overall (16-5 on clay).

"I've won at least one title with all of my coaches, [so] it seems like I could pick anyone," joked Soderling in the press conference. "We've (Fredrik Rosengren and I) had some good results since we started working together, but it's not until now that everything has come together."

Ferrer was bidding to lift his 12th tour-level title and record his 40th match win of the year (39-11 overall). The 29-year-old Spaniard takes home €38,200 in prize money and earns 150 South African Airways 2011 ATP Ranking points.

"Robin played a really good match," said World No. 6 Ferrer. "I didn't really have a chance. He is better than me and he was too good today. Sometimes I can play better, other times worse.

"I have played well the past two weeks in the Davis Cup and reaching the final here. I am not thinking of breaking into the Top 5. I just want to keep enjoying my tennis."

It was the first No. 1-2 seeded final in Bastad since 2006, when No. 2 Tommy Robredo defeated No. 1 Nikolay Davydenko.