| BACKGROUND |
| Nadal is relentless in his quest for a fifth consecutive title here at Roland Garros, which would secure him a place in the history books as the only player ever to have achieved such a feat. | This is 24-year-old Soderling’s first ever appearance in the Round of 16 of a Grand Slam, so the mighty 23 seed has nothing to lose. His win over David Ferrer in the third round was unexpected for some, but anyone who has seen the Swede swinging sweetly through the ball this week was not surprised. |
| CURRENT FORM |
| The undeniable master on clay for the last five seasons, Rafael Nadal soars above his rivals on the red dirt. A little hesitant in the first round, the No1 seed got his groove back in his next two matches, notching up his 30th and 31st consecutive victories at Roland Garros. | After climbing to a career-best world ranking of 15 in February 2009, Robin Soderling promptly fell back to 25, but his booming serves and forehand have ensured him a place in the second week of the French, and seen him topple one of the tournament’s outsiders, David Ferrer. |
| STRENGTHS |
| Nadal is the archetypal clay-court player. Blessed with immense natural talent, cast-iron mental attitude, superhuman physical power, immaculate footwork and an astounding left-handed topspin forehand, Rafa has worked hard to improve his backhand and serve. The man from Manacor seems to have no weaknesses. | Robin Soderling loves nothing better than hitting hard, accurate shots, and his daredevil tactics have made him shine indoors, where he is a force to be reckoned with. Thanks to the help of his coach, Magnus Norman, he is starting to come into his own on clay. |
| TACTICS |
| Nobody seems to be able to stop the Mallorcan matador, who outshines all his rivals on the red clay and appears unbeatable when 100% fit. | With his destructive hitting power and early touch, Robin Soderling has the tools to deprive Nadal of the precious time he needs to prepare his defence. But it remains to be seen whether the Swede has the physical means and mental strength to impose his own rhythm in this battle-of-five. |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD |
| In their three previous encounters, Nadal has always come out on top. Two of the three victories were on clay, one of which in the first round of the French in 2007. | In the third round at Wimbledon in 2007, Soderling pushed the No1 to five sets. The tension was palpable during the match, with the Swede imitating the Spaniard’s habit of fiddling with his shorts between points. The two men met again in Rome on clay last month with Nadal showing no mercy, taking the match 6-1 6-0. |
Rafael Nadal
Robin Soderling
