Tennis Masters Series - Monte Carlo:
16 - 22 April 2007

For Robin this was the start of the spring European claycourt season. Last year he got pretty decent results, making last 16 at two of the Masters Series events.
This season will be tough for him, having lots of points to defend. And to start, he goes against the Belgian Olivier Rochus.
With a great first serve, he won easy most of his service games and was broken only once in the match. He saved six breakpoints in the opening game of the second set, but after he never faced another until the end.
In the second round he met his victim from the last year's tournament - the third seed Nikolay Davydenko. The match started with a break for the Russian (from 40-0), before Robin breaking back for 3-3 and then again at 5-4 to clinch the opening set. The second set was a broke-less one, as both players faced breakpoints, but didn't convert (Soderling had two matchpoint at 5-4 on Nikolay's serve and at 6-5 in the tiebreak).
In the third however the hell broke loose, as there were 8 breaks out of nine games. Only once Robin saved his serve right at the start, but he broke Davydenko five times of his own!
This was more than enough for a double break final set and a place in the last 16 for the second straight year.

The next opponent was Max Mirnyi - the big server from Belarus. The match started with a break for Mirnyi right at the start, which he carried through the set. At 5-4, he was serving for the set, but Robin got to 0-40 and promptly broke back. The set went to a tie-break, in winch Soderling went to 6-2 up. He allowed three straight points for Max, but the last setpoint was on his own serve and he won it to take the opening set. The second turned out to be an easy one - he broke right at the start, then once more to serve the match out for 6-2.

In the quarterfinal Soderling was up against the tenth seed Tomas Berdych. The match started well, as Robin made an early break. Berdych broke back right afterwards, but the Swede managed to hold next few games and made the decisive break at 6-5 to take the opening set.
The second started as the first one, with Robin making an early break. He got to 30 lead, but that was all from him. Berdych won the next 12 games and stormed to victory. Soderling's game fell completely apart - he was serving below 40% and won only 6 points on his own serve in the final set!

Masters Series Monte-Carlo Monte Carlo, Monaco Surface: Clay Status: Tennis Masters Series Prize Money: €2,082,500 Draw Size: 56 Winner: (2)Rafael Nadal Finalist: (1)Roger Federer Robin Soderling this year: Quarterfinal Lost to (10)Tomas Berdych (CZE) Defending Champion: (2)Rafael Nadal Last Year's finalist: (1)Roger Federer Robin Soderling last year: Last 16 Lost to (12)Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) 2-6, 1-3(Ret.) Seeded players: 1. Roger Federer 2. Rafael Nadal 3. Nikolay Davydenko 4. Fernando Gonzalez 5. Tommy Robredo 6. Novak Djokovic 7. Ivan Ljubicic 8. Andy Murray 9. David Nalbandian 10. Tomas Berdych 11. Richard Gasquet 12. David Ferrer 13. Mikhail Youzhny 14. Marcos Baghdatis 15. Jarkko Nieminen 16. Juan Carlos Ferrero cut: Max Mirnyi - 55

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