Robin Soderling continues to prove that his run to the 2009 Roland Garros final was no fluke. The Swede took out Dutch up-and-comer Thiemo de Bakker 6-1, 6-4 in the Barcelona semis and will next meet an in-form Fernando Verdasco, who overcame fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-7(3) 7-5.
Verdasco, who reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final last week in Monte Carlo and won the San Jose title in February, is attempting to become the eighth straight Spanish champion in Barcelona.
However, he’s 1-4 lifetime against Soderling, including a loss to the Swede at last year's French Open. "It’s going to be a very difficult final," said Verdasco. " Soderling is a player who hits extremely hard, you have to move him around and try to tire him out so that his shots are not as precise."—M.C.