Rafael Nadal: A Look Back at His 2009 French Open Loss to Robin Soderling

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: May 6, 2013

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Rafael Nadal has been historically dominant at the French Open with seven titles in eight years and a legendary 52-1 record. It’s as close to tennis perfection as has ever been seen at one Grand Slam venue.

But what about that single blemish, that reminder to the tennis world that even Nadal is not invincible at Roland Garros? It’s been nearly four years since his fourth-round loss to Robin Soderling, and even this has taken on mythical angles of its own.

Was Nadal injured? Was this just an off day? Did Soderling play out of his mind? What happened?

The following is another look at this classic moment through the lenses of 2013. It’s full of superfluous and irrelevant detail. If you want to read something that does not meander along with first-person, subjective musings, don’t read this.

I warned you.

 

Searching for Robin Soderling

Watching the French Open is one envious moment after another. You’re not actually in Paris, but there are plenty of pictures of Paris’s food and historic sites. It’s an annual reminder that it’s possible to plan a vacation to watch grown men slide along red clay and slap a yellow ball across a sagging net. The rest of us get to watch it on TV. Who needs Paris?

I’m a bit hesitant to rewatch this match. I’m a tennis fan first, but I'm especially partial to red clay champions, which means watching Nadal. He once annoyed me with his pirate attire, but more specifically because he likely denied Roger Federer calendar Grand Slams.

Since then, I’ve come to admire the way he fights through each point and marvel at his unique talent and toughness.

However, I’m not a Rafaholic and couldn’t tell you where to find any of his fan blogs, let alone what he ate for breakfast yesterday. If I’m partial to Nadal, I’m also not going to embark on a...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

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