Soderling ends Llodra's run to reach Paris fina

Published>Sun, Nov 14 10 12:37 AM

Fourth seed Robin Soderling ended Michael Llodra's brilliant run at the Paris Masters on Saturday when he saved three match points to beat the unseeded Frenchman 6-7 7-5 7-6 and book his place in the final.

The Swede, twice a French Open runner-up, will face either top seed Roger Federer or French 12th seed Gael Monfils in Sunday's final (1400 GMT).

Llodra, who knocked out holder Novak Djokovic and Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the previous rounds, went on the attack, unsettling Soderling with impressive volleys to bag the opening set by winning the tiebreak 7-0.

Soderling, who had lost both his previous encounters with Llodra, turned around the situation, keeping his opponent behind his baseline to level the tie.

Soderling saved three match points on his serve in the decider, forcing a tiebreak which he won 8-6.

"It is my third final in Paris, I hope I'll win this one," Soderling, who lost the last two French Open finals to Federer and Rafael Nadal, told a courtside interviewer.

"He serves unbelievable, and he has the best volley on tour, I think," he added in a press conference. "So it's very difficult to play against him."

Neither player got a break chance in the first set but Soderling collapsed in the tiebreak as he struggled to find his range with his usually devastating forehand and Llodra went ahead with a thumping ace.

BLISTERED FOOT

The Swede, however, stepped up a gear in the second set and a couple of fantastic service returns earned him a decisive break in the 11th game.

Llodra served a double fault in the second game as Soderling opened a 2-0 lead in the decider and the Frenchman, backed by a 14,500 partisan Bercy crowd, received treatment for a blister on his left foot after the third game.

Llodra broke back for 4-4 and, at 5-4, set up three match points on his opponent's serve but Soderling saved them, going on to win the resulting tiebreak with a forehand winner after two hours 49 minutes.

"I gave everything today, I was close," Llodra told a courtside interviewer.

"Obviously I am disappointed but I still have a great goal: the Davis Cup final and we will need you," the world number 34 told the crowd.

France travel to Serbia for the Davis Cup final from Dec. 3-5.

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