Starting on December 7—the 25th day left in 2010—TENNIS.com will countdown from the year-end No. 25 on both tours with "The Last Word," a look back at the year that was and a look ahead at the season to come. Here's who we've looked at so far.
Best of 2010
Peaking in Paris has become a standard Soderling practice. Unleashing the wide, whipping swings of a man winding up a windmill, Soderling defeated Roger Federer in a drizzly quarterfinal at Roland Garros, snapping the world No. 1's record streak of 23 consecutive Grand Slam semifinal appearances. It was the second straight year Soderling beat a world No. 1 there—he upset Rafael Nadal there in 2009. In November, the Swede saved three match points to beat Frenchman Michael Llodra in the Paris Masters semis, then punished hometown favorite Gael Monfils in the final to collect his first career Masters title.
Worst of 2010
In his latest blunder Down Under, Soderling squandered a two-set lead in a first-round loss to 117th-ranked Marcel Granollers, who entered the match with one career Australian Open win. It was Soderling’s third opening-round exit in five Australian Open appearances.
Year in Review
A career year saw Soderling crack the Top 4, register a 57-22 record, win two titles and play quality tennis consistently. He advanced to the quarterfinals (at least) in 16 of the 22 tournaments he contested. Solidifying his status as an all-court threat, Soderling won his titles indoors (Rotterdam and Paris) and lost three clay-court finals (French Open, Barcelona and Bastad). Despite his opening-round exit in Melbourne, he posted a 14-4 record in Grand Slam play, with three of those losses coming against Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer.
Soderling’s game is both lethal and limited. When he’s on, his power is rivaled only by a healthy Juan Martin del Potro. But when his fast, flat shots fail to land, Soderling lacks the variety to change speeds and spins to create alternative options. At his worst, Soderling can look as subtle as a man wielding a battering ram to open a bag of potato chips.
See for Yourself
Reaching up for his extremely high tosses, Soderling smacked serves at 140 mph and frequently won forehand-to-forehand exchanges with Federer in his French Open upset:
The Last Word
The lanky 26-year-old suffered a major loss this offseason as long-time coach Magnus Norman stepped down. Under Norman’s guidance, Soderling became a fitter player and smarter on court, particularly during rallies. The coach’s impact was evident at the Slams: Before working with Norman, Soderling suffered 16 first- or second-round losses in 20 major appearances. In the eight majors with Norman, Soderling reached two finals and three quarterfinals. Soderling has since hired Claudio Pistolesi as his new coach. Refining the rough edges of his game, improving his approach and volley—and retaining what he learned from Norman—are key for Soderling if he wants to break through and win a major.
—Richard Pagliaro