Nadal 7-6 7-5 6-4
Soderling 7-6 6-7 6-4 6-4

it will not be as easy for Nadal as the experts have predicted.

Sod 6-4,6-3,6-4

Nadal 6-2,6-4,6-2

isabeau77 : i love ur opening..and congrats
good job clayking too...

i agree wid clayking..berdych to win

berdych 6-4 3-6 7-6 7-5
nadal 6-3 6-4 6-2

berdych....6-4,3-6,6-4,7-6
nadal......6-4,6-3,7-5

berdych in 4....6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6
nadal in 3....6-4, 7-5, 6-3

agree with vamosrafa - regardless of who wins among the experts in terms of picking, isabeau77 wins for best stylistic writing.

Berdych 7-6(4) 6-7(5) 6-4 6-3
Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-4

atul - we each predicted Melzer to win 15 games, so I think it will be just as difficult as you do!

You rock clayking & isabeau77 :-)

Here is my pick for the semis:

Nadal: 6-2, 6-2, 6-2
Soderling: 3-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4

berdych: 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6
Nadal: 6-3, 6-4, 6-1

Soderling: 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 7-6

Nadal: 6-4, 6-2, 6-2

Rematch time (:

AmorDeTenis - you have posted an invalid score for Soderling-Berdych

Soderling 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 6-4, 9-7

Nadal 6-3, 7-5, 6-2

If it's an all out 'whose is bigger' bludgeoning contest Soderling may take it; even though Berdych has an inch and a few more kgs on Robin. I think Berdych is playing better tennis but Söderlng is so bloody minded he will try and power his way through.
Berdych can win this if he keeps his cool.
Melzer doesn't have much of a chance.

Nadal -3 6-2 6-4

Soderling to "czech-mate" Berdych: 6-4 6-7(4) 7-5 7-6(7)

One more thing I would like to add. Soderling is a good player because he never stays away from his game plan. He serves big, returns big, and hits big off both wings. That's what he does, and does it well when he is at his best.
On the flip side of the coin, Berdych has more variety. His strokes are far more fluid ,he takes the ball earlier ,and soderling will find it harder to overpower him as Berdych feeds of pace. On top of that his movement is better. The big edge he has on Soderling, in my opinion is the ability to finish points off at the net. He's got FAR BETTER hands than Soderling, thus he can improvise a lot better than Sod can.
Improvisation is an excellent talent to have on clay, just ask Kuerten or even Federer. He may not be up to the level of those greats, but he's definitely got the big edge to sod in that area.

So basically if Berdych plays his best, I think he wins as he is slightly more talented. However, Soderling believes he can beat anyone and he believes that his shots will fall into the court and to a ton of damage. Confidence can turn a good player into a great player, and Soderling has it in galleons. Berdych cant afford to allow nerves to affect him at the beginning, as Soderling is seasoned enough in the big matches to put Berdych away-despite the small difference in talent. Overall, Soderling the more confident man right now, and is mentally the tougher man. Thats what I think the big difference is, and why I think Soderling will come out on top.

My prediction looking forward to the final: if Nadal faces Berdych he will take the title, if he faces Soderling he won't.

I am a Nadal fan but he has been playing relatively poorly all tournament. He has also had one of the easiest draws i have seen in a slam (not his fault, but still). Furthermore, Soderling at the FO in 2009 is a real monkey on his back. I always maintained during Nadal's slump that the problem was more mental than physical and El Sod is the root cause. Add to that that Nadal has not yet 'solved' the Sod/Delpo style of play and i think we will be looking at a new FO champ.

The only asterisk i might add is that the style of play it has taken to beat Nadal is high risk, and if Sod isn't making his shots on the day it could be a one-sided affair.

Soderling or Berdych, Rafa can beat them. Rafa is not Fed! Fed lets the chance of a two set lead slipped away as he played badly (by his standard) in the second set, lost his serve and thus the set. Worst still, after the rain delay, when he was having a 5-5, 30-15 lead in his service game, he somehow double faulted and then lost his serve. He should have finished the match in 3 sets by his normal standard, yet he went on to lose the match. The weather condition favoring Sod only came into play after the third set 5-5 stage, so Fed was the one who missed his chances.

Rafa will not let such chances slip away. I seriously doubt that Sod can keep on hammering the ball hard for three matches, and for at least 10 sets (may be even more sets if the semi is stretched to 4 or 5 sets). Who knows, Berdych can fight fire with fire and outplay Sod with his more fluid style and movement. Talking about nerve, I did not see any nervous moment so far from Berdych, not even during that match against Murray, when there was rain interruption and delay. Murray was the one feeling agitated, while Berdych took it in his own stride. Even against Youzhny, Berdych seemed so relaxed, smiling even when he missed some of his shots. As he himself said, he'll take one match at a time; seems that Rafa really has made an impact on other players, at least in this aspect of the game!

Looking at Sod's style of play, I doubt he can sustain such a style without suffering injuries. He already had some elbow and knee or ankle injuries late last year and early this year; and he was playing much less tennis than Rafa and Fed during his prime. Delpo another one, hitting the ball hard like nobody's business and he is already suffering from wrist tendinitis at such an early stage of his career! Yet, people are criticizing Rafa for his style of play, forgetting that he played many more matches than most of the other players, and Rafa miraculously does not suffer from any wrist or elbow or shoulder injuries like others (touch wood he will not suffer any of those) despite he hitting the ball so hard too!

So for writing too much, as I think this is not the right thread to do so.

Soderling 6-4 5-7 6-3 2-6 8-6 (Want Soderling in the final badly so that he can get his behind kicked)
Rafa 6-4 6-3 6-4

I mean 'Sorry for writing too much'

battre - Rafa is not playing poorly, even relatively speaking, if you are comparing his perfomance to last year's. He is playing better than his Rome and Madrid tournaments this year. MC was an exception as we could see that he was really very eager to win his first title in 11 months.

Rafa has to deal with different styles of play so far in this tournament, starting from the third round - Hewitt with retrieving style of tennis; Bellucci effectively was a poorer version of Rafa; Almagro an aggressive and attacking kind of player. Yet, Rafa dispatched them in straight sets. We see in Melzer yet another type of player, a crafty one who is good at the net. The match against Almagro was a good one for Rafa, in preparation for him to meet either Berdych or Sod in the final, should he gets there! Rafa can solve the Sod/Delpo puzzle esp on clay, as he moves well, better than Fed, and definitely better than those two guys. As long as he serves well and holds his own serves, he can outwit the hard hitters. Unlike Fed this RG, Rafa can raise his level when it matters most, like in those two tie breaks against Almagro. Rafa CAN and WILL BEAT them!

Whatever happens let's have more competitive matches than the rubbish yesterday.

deuce...lol

I thought Rafa served brilliantly against Almagro apart from the first few games.

Its the best I have seen him serve since Wimbly08.

I think he can raise his level of play by a notch or two if need be. Otherwise he is happy playing at 85-90% if he can still get the job done in straight sets.

The 2 tie breaks against Almagro bears standing testimony to this fact. Rafa raised his level of play when needed.He is saving his best for the SF and finals.

Berdych - 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4

Nadal - 6-3, 6-4, 6-3

the winner of the soderling-berdych match has a legitimate shot at the title. Simply bcoz big,strong,power players like courts that sit up nicely for them,and only they can hit through. I expect nadal to cruise past melzer,and soderling to czech-mate berdych in a tough match.

If Soderling plays at the level he did against Federer in Set 3 and set 4, Berdych won't have a prayer. Plus the most important thing is that Soderling has been here before, Berdych hasn't and that ALONE could make the difference in a close match. But I don't think it will be close. Soderling is playing like a man possessed. The tide is with him, and nothing else matters.

And if it's Soderling-Nadal in the final, unless Nadal steps it up (which he hasn't so far in this tournament) it will be F.O 2009 all over again.

Unless the weather condition is the same as set 3 & set 4 of that Fed/Sod match, where it favors Sod, I don't think Sod can blow off Berdych that easily. We assume that Sod would definitely play like a man possessed, do remember that semifinal match last year against Gonzo, where Sod had difficulty beating and had to go the distance in doing so. Berdych is another big hitter and he is playing in a relax mode, swinging freely. It will not be easy for Sod to beat Berdych! Berdych has come so far and reaches his first slam semifinal, I'm sure he will cherish the chance of getting to his first final. He won't make it easy for Sod.

It will not be FO 2009 again for Rafa. Rafa is not stupid! Please show some respect for him. If you and me, not playing the matches, can see what are the areas that Rafa needs to improve on, do you think he and his coach/team can't see them? Have some faith in him! He can beat Sod, a hard hitter just cannot triumph over a clay court expert who is at his 100% and ready for the challenge!

Hi luckystar: I am not saying that Rafa can't beat Soderling. He MOST certainly can and is the BIG favorite going into that match. All I meant was that Nadal's form has been questionable so far in this torunament. He'll need to raise his level to beat the Swede. The tentative play and the numerous UFEs so far in the tournament won't get the job done. I guess, Rafa played some matches in windy conditions so maybe that affected his shots. But then he played in sunny conditions with Zeballos and Almagro and his shots looked like 2005-2006 Nadal not the 2007-2008 version of Rafa who had depth on his shots and moved his opponent left to right which is what made him that irresistible force on clay.

Anyway Nadal and his team knows what is best. But he needs to step it up big time in the final, and let's hope he does.

Regarding Berdych-Soderling: With all due respect, beating Isner, Murray and Youzhny is not close to beating Federer on clay, not least when the Swiss was playing excellent tennis. Soderling produced some insane tennis in the QF match. If he maintains that level, Berdych won't be a factor for tomorrow's SF. That is for sure..

imjimmy,
with due respect,
i hope you remember your words..
i'm not saying berdych will win for sure..
but the winner will not have anything left in them, because today's match is going to be one heck of a contest..
a match exceeding 3 hours going to 4 or more sets..
in the finals, today's winner will be a spent force..
and rest assured today's match will not be as easy as you think..

imjimmy - if you have read Fed's post match presser, you would have realized that the condition after the rain delay favored Sod's go for broke kind of tennis. He effectively hit without any constraint, knowing that the heavy wet balls would slow down a bit and landed within the baseline. In sunny conditions, I doubt he can hit so freely without making any errors. You think Fed was playing excellent tennis during that match? If it was then Fed would not lose his serve in the second set so easily and allowed Sod back into the match! To me Fed was playing his normal OK tennis and not excellent tennis, and he had a lapse of concentration in the second set. You may not be impressed with Berdych's wins over his opponents, but do note that he has beaten them with relative ease, that's the key, relative ease!!

Regarding Rafa, if he gets to the final, do you think he will not put in his best effort to win? From what I've observed so far throughout this clay season, Rafa was super aggressive during MC; he slowed down a bit during Rome and Madrid. Why? Because as RG looms nearer and nearer, he becomes more careful with his knees and won't want to strain his body too much. Though he spent longer time on the courts in Rome and Madrid, you noticed that that was partly due to him not chasing after so many balls, as long as he won in the end. I suspect that Rafa's super aggressive style of play is physically draining on his energy and I would not expect him to play this way all the time. He is already a very intense kind of player, add on the aggression and you can see how physically and mentally tired he will become.

I believe he knows what to expect if he were to face Sod or Berdych. He had played against them many times, just like he had against Almagro. His relaxed and happy attitude during his post match presser tells me that he is happy with his level of play. It is important not to peak too soon and also, not allowing your opponents to know your true level!!

I hope it rains in Paris all day today.Both SF's are played tomorrow. Nadal has it easy against Melzer. Soderling and Berdych beat the hell out of each other and have nothing left for Sunday's final with Rafa...lol

Luckystar, i agree that Berdych has an excellent chance of beating the Sod. I was by no means trying to suggest that Sod making the final is a foregone conclusion. I was just saying that if Sod does make the final i think he will take it. I hope i am wrong but i have a feeling Nadal has not been tested sufficiently this tournament.

atul, don't worry about Sod or Berdych. The hard hitting players will expend lots of energy and they'll make lots of errors going for their big shots. Rafa is a good defense/offense player, he knows how to absorb such blows and find his way around them. The key for him is to serve well; may be that explains why Rafa is so pleased with his own performance against Almagro, mentioning that he serves well during the match (I agree with him, he serves well).

Against big hitters, you have to expect a difficult match, so Rafa vs Almagro match scoreline of 7-6,7-6,6-4 wasn't surprising. I would expect similar scorelines in the final if Rafa gets there.

I expect Berdy to play his game which ensured him victories over Murray, Isner and Youzny...the guy is really playing well and he sure will have in mind how he heavily had beaten Sod in Miami...I am not in favor of Sod's game...all he does is serves well and slaps the ball hard so that it is impossible for opponents to return...there is no beauty in his game...well, that is my opinion...Fed had his chances and he did not use it...Fed lost, he was not focused at crucial points, he let Sod get away easily...Berdy has a lot at stake as well...this may be his only chance to reach GS final...I envisage a real war on the court today...Berdy in 4!

The reason why I have chosen BERdych :

WEll soderling is hitting the ball awefully well this trnament and he beat federer too. HOWEVER, soderling never likes somebody giving him a taste of his own medicine, he likes dictating but he never likes being dictated! his defence is NOT greaet and we need some one to shake his gameplan and make him defend.... here is a man named BERDYCH who has the power and can hit the ball almost as hard...thsi power of tomas is very likely to throw soderling out of his comfort zone. Berdych can also match the pace of soderling's 1st serve so soderling wont feel comfortable..

i would like to add something to your post VAMOSRAFA

berdych also has a lot more variation in his game too....he employs slice effectively...the most important thing that berdych needs to do against soderling is he needs to keep him on the run....something the fed couldnt this time....and serve as hard as the sod......berdy boy will need as many free points as he can...to take off the pressure from his service games and take risks against the swede!!!

berdy boy sure has the firepower...its the execution that demands composure...great confidence and concentration.....not easy at all

@vrael...i agree dude...federer in the pre-match interview said that he likes moving big hitters from side to side and this has been the key for him to having so much success against soderling in the past...he could not move soderling enuf in the previous match but with all his power BERDYCH can do that...

and yes berdych also has MORE DIMENSIONS in his game...and we know gonzalez pushed soderling to a TOUGH 5-set battle in last year's semi finals and gonzo was able to rattle soderling with his BIGG forehand but it was gonzo's bakhand that let him down but tomas has a great bakhand too...so lets see.

Agree with you vamosrafa. Sod acts like a big bully on court, trying to blow his opponents away with big serves, big forehands. Once he meet another similar 'bully', he may end up losing the battle. Good examples: against Delpo at WTF 09; against Berdych Miami 10; against Verdasco Barcelona 10. He really bullies Davy (see their H2H), take advantage of Rafa when Rafa was at his most vulnerable (esp at WTF 09), bullies little boy Cilic in this tournament!

Of all Sod's defeats, I'm the most happy at that one in Shanghai 09, where Lopez beats him in the QF; of all people Lopez!!

Well i m one of the nadal fans but like some people here i do also have my concerns of whether he would win the final assuming that he wins his semi today.
First reason is that so far Nadal hasn't played a match showing his full class or u may say 100% tennis. Now with only 2 matches left will he able to show us his true class. I hope so.
Secondly i guess this has been talked before the weather is expected to get very wet on sunday until the latest forecast. On one site there is 90% precipitation chance.This is going to favor his opp. may it be berdych or Sod-both are hard hitters. I personally hope that if the conditions are to be damp than it rather rains whole day so that final is postponed on Monday when it would be much better conditions.
Any how hope Nadal gets through no matter what may come as he and Federer both are class players and deserve it as much as anyone else particularly after the last one year struggle that Nadal has had.

5 games in to the match , and it is evident what i was saying...soderling may win the match but he would have to move out of his comfort zone to do so.

Berdych's serve wasn't good today and he tend to over hit his shots. He has to adjust his hitting and beware of Sod's shots coming back behind him. Seems that the ball is flying around very fast due to the dry condition today.

wooohoooo we have 5th set

My 6/4/10 2:08 AM post hit the nail on the head. Berdych is slightly more talented than Soderling,but Sod was coming into the match with more confidence and is mentally tougher-that made the difference at the end of the day.

@tj600...spot on...i had berdych in 4 but i knew soderling wud be the favorite if it goes to a 5th set... and i like ur 'czech-mate- style :P

@vamosrafa
Thanks. Its going to be an interesting final between Sod and Nadal. I actually think that if its sunny,soderling will have no chance as his shots will sail out and he will make a TON of unforced erros.(we saw this today against berdy) However, if its damp and rainy,then SOderling will have more time to take huge cuts at the ball,and as the air resistance is more in damp conditions,he can be more confident as he can take monster swings at the ball without fear of his shots going out. I still think Nadal will win that match if it occurs in those conditions; but he will play his first five set match at RG in the process.

tj, i agree , sunny conditions like tday i dn tsee nadal even losing a set , but as the preditions say it will rain and i hope the court doesnt get too wet that day. surely damp conditions wil favor soderling as they did againt federer ! may help him even more against rafa becoz i have seen rafa drop short balls on really DAMP courts...
anyway honestly, i know i am biased but still.honestly i dont think nadal will lose this final

isa might be on spot with the predictions..
will he be the guest picker for final??
well, i have lost my spot..:P

me too

damn u berdy!!!

Soderling has a big chance if the conditions are damp BUT he has got no chance if the conditions are bright and sunny

atul1985.......thts wat worries me...it is gonna be damp!!

So if Sod can play hard in wet conditions.............so can Rafa!!!!!!

monalysa...i love ur attitude

both players have a great chance regardless of conditions. Way overrated, these conditions.

alright, so many people correctly predicted Soderling in 5 and Berdych in 4 that whoever correctly predicted that who wants to be an expert for the final can email me: ricky.dimon@tennistalk.com

i believe the people who got it were isabeau77, Champion7, CHERYL MURRAY!!!, Raindrops, and AmorDe Tennis. So whoever of you wants in for the final can get in. And anyone else I missed who got it correct can also get in.