BRISBANE – Sweden’s Robin Soderling remained on course for a blockbuster final against Andy Roddick after easing past qualifier Matthew Ebden in the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International on Friday.
The Swedish top seed raised his game when it mattered against his gallant, but outclassed Australian opponent, winning 6-3, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals. The 26-year-old Swede, runner-up at the French Open for the past two years, controlled the tie from the outset, breaking Ebden once in the first set and twice in the second.
He served beautifully throughout, making 71 per cent of his first serves and giving Ebden no opportunities to break back.
Soderling was also able to control most of the rallies, with the weight of his groundstrokes forcing errors from the 23-year-old Australian. “I’ve been serving really, really well all week — I haven’t been broken yet,” he said. “Today I managed to serve well when it mattered. There were a couple of love-30 opportunities when I served really well, so I’m very happy about that.”
Roddick was equally impressive during his quarter-final against Marcos Baghdatis on Thursday, and organisers will be hoping the top two drawcards reach the final of a tournament that has lost its top three women’s seeds. But Soderling will first have to get past former champion and 2010 runner-up Radek Stepanek, who showed why he is considered one of the most dangerous “floaters” in the draw as he beat seventh-seeded German Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-3. The abrasive Czech won the Brisbane International in 2009 when he beat Fernando Verdasco in the decider, and pushed Roddick all the way in the 2010 final.
