THE LAST TIME... WITH ROBIN SODERLING
DEUCE


Robin Soderling admits being famous earns him some perks back in Sweden.

World No. 5 and two-time Roland Garros finalist Robin Soderling reveals the last time...

I cooked for myself or others?
The last time I ever cooked... err.... I never cook! When I am home my girlfriend cooks for me or we go to a restaurant. I have never cooked for my parents. No. I might have boiled an egg for breakfast once. I can cook pasta, but not much.

I flew economy class?
I flew here to Estoril. Every time I fly short routes around Europe I go economy. Only the longer flights I book a business class ticket.

I met a childhood idol?
[After much consideration]... I met Mats Sundin, the ice hockey player, who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs. I met him only a couple of weeks ago in Stockholm.

I shared a hotel room with another player?
It must have been a long time ago. Probably at a Futures tournament.

I paid money to hire a court or buy tennis balls?
Last year in Barcelona, I came a week before the tournament and we couldn’t get the balls we wanted. We went to a sports stores, a Decathlon, to buy 20 cans of balls. After I paid, the guy asked me for my autograph. Hiring a court... it must have been a long time ago. I can't remember.

I played a practical joke in the locker room?
We do it a little bit in Davis Cup, but not on the tour. Every time I go to the tennis and I am in the locker room, I like to focus on my game so I don’t do it too much.

I forgot a family member’s birthday?
Yeah, for sure I have. Whenever it is my Mum’s birthday, my Dad always reminds me and my Mum reminds me of my sister’s birthday. Without them I would probably forget them all.

Being famous helped me?
It helps a lot at restaurants in Sweden. The popular restaurants are always full. So being recognised does help me get a table, which is very nice.

I strung a tennis racquet?
It must have been 10 years ago. I remember I was really slow. I can string, but it takes me one hour, an hour and a half. It takes me a while. My string tension hasn’t changed much since I was a junior. Maybe a little bit looser, one kilo.

I lost something important?
I lost my computer on a plane a year ago. It was really tough. I had so many important things on it and I had no back-up. So that was brutal.

I last asked someone for their autograph?
I remember I collected a lot of autographs of tennis players as a kid. But recently it was Henrik Larsson, the Swedish footballer. I asked him for an autograph for my sister’s son.

I played another sport that might have caused me a minor injury?
No, I try not to play other sports. Sometimes I play ice hockey in Sweden in the winter, but not too much. In Davis Cup we play football and you’re always close to injury there!

I was asked if I was a tennis player?
It must have been when I was last in the United States. When you stand in an elevator and you see the person wants to strike up a conversation. ‘Hey, you play tennis?’ It normally happens when I am carrying six tennis racquets.

I missed a flight?
I am always pretty late, but I am careful. It was a long time ago. Probably Munich several years ago. After I had had surgery they changed gates and I couldn’t walk to the gate fast enough. I was on crutches hobbling along. I must have missed it by five minutes!

I had a bad hotel experience?
I’ve always stayed at pretty good hotels. I am not that picky. If there is a good bed I like it. I have never really had a bad experience. Maybe in juniors we went to somewhere in eastern Europe and the hotels weren’t great.

I played on a bad court surface?
It was probably really bad whenever you play on clay courts in Sweden. Apart from Bastad, which has great courts. We only play two or three months outdoors, so the courts do get pretty uneven.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/DEUCE- … rling.aspx

RG 2011 - konferencja po zwycięstwie w 2 rundzie.

http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/multi … 0011e.html

RG 2011 - konferencja po zwycięstwie w 4 rundzie.

http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/multi … 001f6.html

Wimbledon 2011 - wywiad po zwycięstwie w 2 rundzie

R. Soderling bt. L. Hewitt 6 7, 3 6, 7 5, 6 4, 6 4

Q. How were you feeling at two sets to love down, knowing you had to go into completely new territory if you're going to win the match?

ROBIN SODERLING: Yeah, I felt great. I knew I was going to win (laughter).

No, no. Well, of course it's tough. I never came back from two sets to love down before in my career. I think I was a little bit unlucky to not win the first set. I had some chances. And then he played really well in the second.

But, you know, you just have to start over, like trying to take one point at a time and see it as a new match, you know, there's still a chance to win.

I didn't want to go off the court feeling that I didn't give a hundred percent, you know. Win or lose, doesn't matter.

Q. How worried were you in the third set?

ROBIN SODERLING: Yeah, well, of course, you know, two sets to love down, it's normal to be a little bit worried. But again, you know, I try not to think about the scoreline. Instead, I try to keep looking forward.

I know I was playing pretty well. I served well. And if I could just, you know, start to move a little bit better, start to return a little bit better than the first two sets, I knew I had a good chance.

Q. Did he surprise you how well he played?

ROBIN SODERLING: Yeah. Well, I think so. We played a few times. We played two times in the last one or two years. And this is I think the best he played against me before. And then if he's satisfied or not today, you have to ask him.

From times to time, you know, I think it was some pretty good tennis.

Q. When he's in that kind of form, can he still do damage at the majors?

ROBIN SODERLING: Yeah, I think so. If he's healthy, he have good chance to beat anyone, especially on this surface. This is the first time I played him on grass, and it was different. I think his game really suits this kind of courts.

Q. How important was it to serve first on the last three sets?

ROBIN SODERLING: Yeah, well, I always like to serve first. If I can, I always choose serve. You know, I was able to break him at the last game of every set. So it's always nicer to serve first, I think.

Q. People talk about the top four in the men's game. Do you feel with how good you have played and can play that they should maybe consider a top five as the dominant gang?

ROBIN SODERLING: Well, I'm No. 5 in the rankings. I like to think that the ranking never lie. It shows what you did in a year.

And, of course, they all played better than me. But every match is different. When I play the top guys, I always try to be positive, and I really try to believe that I have a chance to win. And I have beaten them all before. So there's always a chance in any match for everyone.

Q. Obviously your ambition is to break into that four, three, two, as high as you can go?

ROBIN SODERLING: Yeah, this is mostly why I play tennis. I want to improve. I want to become better. I think when you don't want that anymore, then you lose a big thing on this game.

Q. It's tough, isn't it?

ROBIN SODERLING: Yeah, it's very tough. But I got to a position where I'm No. 5 in the world. It should be tough.

Q. How did you find it playing under the roof?

ROBIN SODERLING: It was nice, I think. And when they put the roof on, it's not as slippery as without. From what I heard, there was a little rain, so I'm happy we played with the roof on today.

http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/int … 97234.html

#10) Bastad 2011



R32    Bye
R16    Diego Junqueira (ARG) 6-0 6-1
Q    Potito Starace (ITA) 6-3 6-4   
S    Tomas Berdych (CZE) 6-1 6-0
W    David Ferrer (ESP) 6-2 6-2