Nadal and Soderling will meet for the third consecutive year in Paris
Rafael Nadal has qualified for the quarterfinals of Roland Garros after defeat in three sets to Ivan Ljubicic in a match in which, without shine, the world No. 1 was less than. His next opponent will be on the Parisian clay Robin Soderling, who beat Gilles Simon smoothly.
Rafael Nadal continues to suffer on Parisian clay that has already accumulated 42 wins. His last victim was the veteran Ivan Ljubicic, who overcame an aggregate score of 7-5, 6-3 and 6-3 after two hours and twenty minutes of play in a clash played at the Philippe Chatrier. After the day dawned with bright sunshine in Paris, the day turned gray and threatening rain, reflecting the end of the day what was the match between Spanish and Croatian. The duel was soon face to Rafa, who took advantage before the first day off after a game crazy in which Ljubicic saved a 0-40 with two aces and finished 'giving away' the break after a bad left more like a junior. Nadal was more aggressive than in previous days, but showed deficiencies in terms of winners and effectiveness in their choice of break (6 / 20 in the game). That allowed the Croatian to react and even the war, but it errors again offer an advantage to the Balearic Islands in the final stretch of the set. Climbing the network, something that sometimes miss at No. 1, Nadal became the last straw to the set.
As the party was consumed, Nadal's game has improved, especially when he took a walk a right that seems stuck in the back of the court on this issue. Come to Ecuador in the second set, the Spaniard offered on the table the best version of his tennis, he signed a break and sealed the set after winning the last four games of the same. Seemed to have taken so far to meet Rafa feeling comfortable in the background and without fear of dropping his arm, but nothing beyond reality. After breaking Ljubicic's serve, gave the contrabreak in a game that seemed blurred. A hot and cold sand cycle repeated enough against an opponent, with all due respect, minor. A new break in the sixth game was final for Rafa would put the finishing touch to the party. Ljubicic Nadal ended desperate and showing signs of further progress. Although little is little ...
In the quarterfinals, Nadal will need to check the Swede Robin Soderling, a finalist in Paris the last two editions and only player to break the Balearic achieved in this scenario, who won with authority to Frenchman Gilles Simon and a score of 6-2 , 6-3, 7-6 (5) after two hours and seventeen minutes of play in a clash played at the Philippe Chatrier. Nadal and Soderling faces have been seven times, with a background of 5-2 in favor of the Spanish. The last preceding the two are the quarter-finals of Wimbledon last year, where Rafa won 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-1.