Sweden’s Robin Soderling has just won his very first Masters 1000 title when he defeated Frenchman, Gael Monfils in a 6-1, 7-6(1) match at the Paris Masters final.
The Swede is currently among the top seeds, and during the match, he was able to hit a forehand volley sometime during match point. In triumphant glee, he fell to the ground to celebrate the most prestigious title of his career so far.
According to Monfils, “I always feel so good here in Paris… I now have two favorite tournaments, it’s here and Roland Garros. I hope I can come back many times and play well.”
So far, Soderling is the first Swede who has been able to win a Masters 1000 tournament since the time of Thomas Enqvist in the year 2000. Soderling will now overtake Andy Murray of Britain and reach his career high of No. 4 in terms of world rankings.
During the match, Soderling used his powerful first serve. He then hit nine aces and did not face a single break point. He was aggressive especially in the first set, putting Monfils under extreme pressure. He even won 8 out of 10 net points and was able to hit 12 winners against Monfil’s 6.
When asked for comments, Soderling said, “I was extremely nervous before this match… I didn’t sleep much at all (last) night. I really wanted to do well today and I’m happy with the way I started the match.”