TheFifthSet
Legend
Nadal beating Federer in the final of Wimbledon the year before?
I dunno about that, certainly a very significant match but the pre match odds were pretty even and many pundits expected a Nadal win.
Nadal beating Federer in the final of Wimbledon the year before?
US Open 2015--Serena was on her way to winning the zenith of tennis achievements--the Grand Slam--but was defeated in the semifinals. The build up to that USO, and Serena's journey toward the Grand Slam (and how it ended) was the tennis story of the year, and easily the biggest of the century.
After that, 2010 Winbledon, where Tomáš Berdych defeated Federer in the quarters. That was an unexpected, explosive match.
You think the 2010 QF result, a tournament where Federer was struggling throughout the tourney was more unexpected than the 2009 R4 result when Nadal was 23 years old and in his clay prime? Don’t know if I buy that.
b) YOU predicted Serena wouldn’t complete the CYGS in 2015. Yes, I remember. How can it be that big of an upset to you if you yourself claimed to see it coming?
No one was expecting Berdych to defeat Federer at all. I cannot recall any commentator giving him even a crumb of a chance, so his turning the tables at the event was a serious upset, to say the least.
My reply here was not saying it was an upset to me, but an address to the thread topic, and in the public's view, it was the biggest upset for all that winning that USO would have meant.
I remember at the time Nadal being asked (I believe in the Rome presser) something about the easy score of that match, and him remarking the score there was misleading, saying it could have easily been 5-0 for Soderling the way things were being played in the first set, but he was handling it pretty well and being lucky enough with his shots. As far as I remember there was still bad blood between them due to that Wimbledon 2007 incident, and you could see in the match, Soderling would try to reach for a bunch of shots with a lot of extra effort. The matchup felt like a grudge match that no one wanted to lose.The greatest upset I've ever seen. Bar none.
Nobody expected Rafa to go his whole career without losing to someone, but I always thought it would be a Djokovic or a Murray or another top top guy to come along later down the line who would end the streak.
Not a guy like Soderling. He hadn't done a thing of note in his career before that tournament. All his (minimal) success came later down the line.
He had played Rafa in Rome that same year and lost 6-0 6-1 and looked absolutely lost. If you'd have told me before the French Open that Soderling was Rafa's first round opponent, I would have thought it a nice easy start for Rafa.
This match was such a foregone conclusion that I'd gone out on a long dog walk and forgotten it was even being played that day. The match just wasn't in my mental schedule at all.
When I flicked on the TV and saw it was 4-6 7-6 2-6 (2 sets to 1 and ongoing), just absolute shellshock. That's only how I can describe it.
And my God that 4th set was a nervous tightrope! I think Rafa blew an easy inside-out forehand into the tramlines to make it 1-4 in the breaker and that was when it truly hit me he was going to lose.
That's why I consider Istomin's win over Djokovic a bigger upset. Istomin was a journeyman qualifier (or wild card idk). It came completely out of the blue. Djokovic was 40-1 since 2011, only losing to Wawrinka, and he was #2 and the overwhelming favorite for a 7th AO.
For Söderling, that upset was a breakthrough win (similar to Fedr over Sampras; the upset provided a springboard for a new elite player). For Istomin, he came out of nowhere and went right back.
The Istomin upset is nowhere near as big of a magnitude here compared to Soderling. Novak had already shown signs of decline/non-interest in matches late 2016, and already had an early round upset with Querrey at Wimbledon. It certainly didn’t surprise me that he lost in early round that year, I just expected it to be against Dimitrov and the upset came about a few rounds earlier.
Vinci over Serena comes to mind although that's the WTA.What’s a bigger tennis upset then?
I dunno about that, certainly a very significant match but the pre match odds were pretty even and many pundits expected a Nadal win.
Fed was unbeaten at Wimbledon at that point. It was his domain as much as RG was Nadal's. Losing there to the King of Clay was as much of a shock as it would have been if the King of Grass had beaten Nadal in the final of RG!
Odds wise Stakhovsky defeating Fraud
The greatest upset I've ever seen. Bar none.
Nobody expected Rafa to go his whole career without losing to someone, but I always thought it would be a Djokovic or a Murray or another top top guy to come along later down the line who would end the streak.
Not a guy like Soderling. He hadn't done a thing of note in his career before that tournament. All his (minimal) success came later down the line.
He had played Rafa in Rome that same year and lost 6-0 6-1 and looked absolutely lost. If you'd have told me before the French Open that Soderling was Rafa's first round opponent, I would have thought it a nice easy start for Rafa.
This match was such a foregone conclusion that I'd gone out on a long dog walk and forgotten it was even being played that day. The match just wasn't in my mental schedule at all.
When I flicked on the TV and saw it was 4-6 7-6 2-6 (2 sets to 1 and ongoing), just absolute shellshock. That's only how I can describe it.
And my God that 4th set was a nervous tightrope! I think Rafa blew an easy inside-out forehand into the tramlines to make it 1-4 in the breaker and that was when it truly hit me he was going to lose.
You think the 2010 QF result, a tournament where Federer was struggling throughout the tourney was more unexpected than the 2009 R4 result when Nadal was 23 years old and in his clay prime? Don’t know if I see eye-to-eye there, but fair enough.
And yes, the Serena SF was a big upset indeed but
a) Nadal on clay has always been a surer bet than any player on any other surface
b) YOU predicted Serena wouldn’t complete the CYGS in 2015. How can it be that big of an upset to you if you yourself claimed to see it coming?
I think you’re being bull-headed by reflexively dismissing the magnitude of Nadal’s upset at the hands of Soderling. Hold a different opinion if you will, but flatly dismissing the ‘09 match as the biggest upset of the 2000’s is a bridge too far in my opinion.
The greatest upset I've ever seen. Bar none.
Nobody expected Rafa to go his whole career without losing to someone, but I always thought it would be a Djokovic or a Murray or another top top guy to come along later down the line who would end the streak.
Not a guy like Soderling. He hadn't done a thing of note in his career before that tournament. All his (minimal) success came later down the line.
He had played Rafa in Rome that same year and lost 6-0 6-1 and looked absolutely lost. If you'd have told me before the French Open that Soderling was Rafa's first round opponent, I would have thought it a nice easy start for Rafa.
This match was such a foregone conclusion that I'd gone out on a long dog walk and forgotten it was even being played that day. The match just wasn't in my mental schedule at all.
When I flicked on the TV and saw it was 4-6 7-6 2-6 (2 sets to 1 and ongoing), just absolute shellshock. That's only how I can describe it.
And my God that 4th set was a nervous tightrope! I think Rafa blew an easy inside-out forehand into the tramlines to make it 1-4 in the breaker and that was when it truly hit me he was going to lose.
Fed was unbeaten at Wimbledon at that point. It was his domain as much as RG was Nadal's. Losing there to the King of Clay was as much of a shock as it would have been if the King of Grass had beaten Nadal in the final of RG!
you are too kind. Saying Berdych def. Federer in Wim 10 was a bigger upset than Soderling def. Nadal in RG 09 is just la la land stuff.
Federer was down 2 sets to love, had to save 4 BPs in the business end of the 3rd set and Falla actually served for the match in the 4th set.
That's barely escaping. If it was in Fed's prime from 04-09, then you could argue Berdych loss was as big an upset. But Fed was nowhere near prime level in 2010 Wimbledon. Also had some injury issues.
Serena was 33-34. Didn't play all that great at RG/Wim from what I remember tbh. Is it a surprise she ran out of some luck and also choked given the pressure of the CYGS?
Where Soderling is now is irrelevant. What he accomplished after his win is irrelevant. Nothing can erase the fact that ON THAT DAY, he pulled off one of the most monsterous upsets in the Open era. If a band only ever has one #1 hit single, or a team only ever wins one championship . . . it's still an accomplishment that no one can take away.And where is he now?? 10 years in advance?! LMAO that is right! Rafa is still playing and winning, while that mug is long since retired!
People dismiss the magnitude of Soderling's upset now. It's easy to forget how annoyingly cocky the VB was (well, still is, actually) every spring leading up to RG. Robin was seeded 23 that year, but hardly any of Nadal's fans took him very seriously at all. He was just supposed to be another patsy on the way to a fifth straight title.People make more of this than it really was. Soderling was a seeded and highly regarded player, was ranked 12th in the world after the tournament. It was not a qualifier with no standing beating a top player. Sooner or later Rafa would have a struggle at the FO, and that was it.
Exactly, he and Djoko not quite right after Madrid SF. Of course others see a fraudulent peak on clay at 2009 RG.Bull was injured no
Fed was lucky to even get that match to a 5th set.Nadal beating Federer in the final of Wimbledon the year before?
Soderling did make top 10 before his illness caused him to quit. He was a force. I know Rafa was dominant like Usain Bolt back then and still today but it's not like Soderling was ranked#100
What do I see? Rafa down a break.
Soderling up 4-1.Geezzzzzzzz.Can't believe this!!!!!
I may have to rethink my utter dismissal of Soderling. Hmm.
I don't see Toad keeping this up for long.He's going to breakdown in the next and get a bagel in the last.
5-2 Sod. I cannot stand that man.
Brave, brave Sir Robin whacking that ball hard, 5-2*.
So umm....set point to soderling....
HOLY **** Rafa! What's going on!?!??!??!
Soderling takes it 6-2. Ends Rafa's streak of 32 consecutive sets at RG
WTH soderling takes the set.
...wtf. well, it's a minor glitch. Rafa will win the next 3 anyway, Vamos
He lost a set the last time in the 2007 final to fed.
I reckon Soderling will get broken here... and then again and again... and get breadsticked and bageled in the following sets.![]()
where are N_F and veroniquem ? They haven't posted their rafa is exhausted/injured excuses yet ! :evil:
Can't believe there's not a single working stream for this match.![]()
Sods is handling Nadal's high balls very well, and is returning some of them with an amazing about of topspin, although he mostly hits them flat.
Oh ****, Soderling got broken!
there we go, normal service is resumed
Soderling's serving is atrocious in this set. Only 38% 1st serves. If he picks that up, this set should be intresting.
nadal holds now leads 3-1
Soderling serving and playing well again now all of a sudden! Why couldn't he do that last service game?! GRRRRRRR. ...
Soderling's forehand is huge.
Nadal's needs to wipe the smug look of Soderling's face.
Yes! 5-3......
Rafa holds 5-3.
jesus! Soderling is hitting HUGE!
Soderling looks to be CRUSHING the ball. Based on those first two points I saw there. And another FH error from Rafa. Unusual. Even if Rafa takes this second set, if Robin can keep his head together, his game seems to be troubling him.
woah!! Sod breaks!! 5-5
Mann the crowd is rooting for Soderling??:shock:
Soderling is playing big time tennis. Big serve, big forehand. No messing around. He's playing the same way that he plays indoors.
Holy crap!!!!!!! Soderling playing brilliantly on CLAY against the KING!!! Nadal looks so down right now. HOLY MOLY!!!
French crowd are chanting Robin! Robin! Rafa is in a bit of bother here folks:shock::shock:
Soderling is trailblazing, he pathfinding...he's showing everyone how to do it. I see it but I don't believe it. Still think Nadal will win this one, but at what cost???
Dear Lord, I have no idea what you can do against a forehand like that. That was incredible :/
my god soderling is insane...
OMG, amazing FH down the line from Soderling. He is winning some fans just as we speak. 30-30. Great dropper from Nadal. shows he is thinking clearly
Get ready for tiebreak time!
4-0 Nadal. Too many misses. Robin has lost his bottle here.
Soderling is losing belief, i can see it draining from him...
And the evil Uncle Toni starts smiling. Sighz.
Crowd has gone quiet.
Sets gone... 7-2 tiebreaker.
Soderling really gifted that tiebreak away. Vamos Rafa, no way he's losing now
Hm, it looks over now. Sod will get bakery products.
50 bucks Soderling is already dead tired.
I think nadal is now starting to raise his game.....he just holds at love...
You can tell Solderling is still thinking about the TB
Soderling is too physically drained, he won't be able to keep up. He'll probably also crumble mentally. No joking, he looks nowhere near the player he was in the first.
I don't trust Toad's mental stability to believe he won't get destroyed now.
Looks like Soderling hasn't given up yet which is great to see. 2-2
Nadal will BREAK HIM.![]()
Soderling is not going away.
Soderling breaks! leads 4-3
Nadal serving to stay in the set. 5-4
If Nadal loses, Federer better win it!
I have never seen Nadal in such a fix at Roland Garros. Even if Soderling loses, this match will be remembered for a while.
Soderling will serve for the set.
a tie break is easy enough to tighten up on, but now we'll see if he really has it, serving for a 2 set to 1 lead...
He'll lose to Verdasco. But it'll still be the match of his life and the upset of the decade
Choke time coming?
3 set points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND.... AND... history in the making????
I'll say it again...Wooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwww
History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The great nadal excuse machine will start working now.
Jesus, I never ever thought that set would play out like it did :/ let alone Soderling to serve out to love. Come on Rafa, you can do it!!!
At this moment: Yes! What I find most notable is that hitting everything actually CAN be good enough against Nadal on this surface. Expect Nadal to come out in 5. 6-3 6-2 he's winning this now
Soderling. who would have thought… Jesus...
this match reminds me of the acasuso-federer, except that nadal is having no answers to sod's superb play. this is the 1st time someone wins 2 sets against nadal at RG.
Nadal looks so out of sorts here...I don't get why he can't raise his level. Credit to Soderling here for making this VERY interesting.
Oh come on. Nadal obliterated him the last time they played. This isn't Rafa - he just isn't playing like Rafael Nadal.
Nadal is still a reasonably heavy favourite with the bookies. 1.40 over 2.80
Somewhere Nadal Freak is thinking of all the excuses on why this is happening to Nadal..
63% 1st serves by Soderling in the 3rd set. Keep it up
Nadal with break points!
Nadal broke
soderling looks flat at the start of the 4th.
nadal breaks early in the 4th to lead 2-0...has normal service resumed?
Wondered from where Soderling get so much fire, power and strength? He looks completely confidence.
soderling about to break back
Wow...What a weird couple games. Nadal breaks and looks energized, then falls into 0-40
AND HE breaks back!!
Unlike everyone else who plays Nadal, Soderling refuses to go away.
Soderling breaks back to LOVE!! How does he do it?!?! Soderling is ON FIRE! At least Nadal isn't making errors left and right or else I'd feel sorry for him... but Soderling IS literally winning it on his racquet. Amazing.
This is a gem produced by the Nadal_Excuse_Machine (NEM). "Rafa beat X last time. Rafa is losing to X now. Therefore this cannot be Rafa."
I desperately want to see Rafa win this, but I can't help gasp in amazement everytime Soderling unloads one of those huge forehands
Wow, Soderling with 58 winners?! Holy cow.
If Soderling somehow pulls this out, the tennis world will be brought to its knees. Come on Soderling, you have a chance at EPIC WIN
props to Cesc Fabregas for staying here while all the usual Rafa fans are in hiding but will come out as soon as Rafa is about to win.
if he wins, he's going to be the most popular man in the world tomorrow!
Yep. When such a match happens, even if Soderling never does anything of note ever again, he will have something to be remembered for. And I can bet you he will become Federer's best friend, lol.
LOL, yeh, a lot of Soder-Pop on that forehand.
Soder-jerk canNOT keep this up.
Vamos Raf! Rafa will summon his legendary will to win .... the nice man over the 'win-at-all-costs', classless mentality. C'mon Rafa, animo, animo!
Nadal is down at the FO and NBC is showing...kids cartoons. WTF America. WTF. Maybe the biggest upset in tennis history, and I can't see it live. Gotta love it.
nadal not bossing the play and hitting winners. i guess yelling "vamos" and pumping his fist at soderling's routine errors will just have to do.![]()
Nothing wrong with how Nadal's playing. He simply can't match Soderling's level. He hits too hard and too flat for Nadal to match this level with heavy top spin. He needs to hope the Toad's level drops.
4 all in the 4th......
Gonna be hilarious when all the Nadal fans jump in when he is up a break in the 5th.
Hold. 5-5. Please don't crack, Robin.
Soderling is insanely close to winning this match now. HOLY CRAP!
SODERLING HOLDS! Tie-break time.
2-0 soderling
I simply cannot believe how Soderling is playing. Its not over yet....
Wow what a shot by Soderling. 3-1
soderling is just WAILING on the ball.. he's taking fernando gonzalez type swings at the ball and they're going IN!
4-1. This. Is. It.
So..Federer's finally going to win a FO
4-1 Soderling baby!!! Yeah!
My goodness. If Robin wins this will be the biggest upset in tennis history.
5-1. amazing volley. brave sod.
Dancing with history...
ANYONE else just sitting with jaw on floor and eyes wide? That sounds rude, i know.
Five Match Points!
It's over. Someone pinch me and tell me I'm not dreaming.
I cannot believe this, you have got to be kidding me. Soderling of all people.
I have never been more confused in my life >.<
God History In Making! He Totally Deserved The Victory
There's a flock of pigs flying outside my window.
I bet a lot of us here remember exactly where we were when that match happened. Biggest upset of the last 20 years and one of the biggest in the Open era.
Tell me you went nuts while posting thisThat's why I consider Istomin's win over Djokovic a bigger upset. Istomin was a journeyman qualifier (or wild card idk). It came completely out of the blue. Djokovic was 40-1 since 2011, only losing to Wawrinka, and he was #2 and the overwhelming favorite for a 7th AO.
For Söderling, that upset was a breakthrough win (similar to Fedr over Sampras; the upset provided a springboard for a new elite player). For Istomin, he came out of nowhere and went right back.
1983 cricket world cup final has something to say hereThe greatest upset in sporting history
Yzaga was PETE's equal at the USODoohan, Yzaga, Stahkovsky, Kucera all say hi.
Soderling was a beast that almost beat Nadal at Wimbledon earlier.
Could he won it in four had he kept his break in the second setFed was lucky to even get that match to a 5th set.
No, the Söderling upset is quite overrated.Tell me you went nuts while posting this
PloxNo, the Söderling upset is quite overrated.
You used the word Plox so your argument is invalid.Plox
No, the Söderling upset is quite overrated.
Makes you wonder what kind of training regimen he and his team implemented.I remember that match and how Soderling was hitting those monstrous two-handers from way above the shoulder line like they were nothing.
Upset!? - No! Joy, delight, happiness - YES!!!What a day it was.. Really took the racket out of Rafa . Greatest upset of this century.
Friend, you can't be serious. Istomin was a great upset, I know. Djokovic was a strong force in Australia but let me remind you that he was Pushed to 5 sets against Simon in the year before. It was big, but Soderling was just another level of upset. Until that, no one never won two sets against Nadal on Phillipe Chatrier. No one! And man, people trying to downplay Soderling's performance in that day citing that Nadal was "injured" is just plain ridiculous.That's why I consider Istomin's win over Djokovic a bigger upset. Istomin was a journeyman qualifier (or wild card idk). It came completely out of the blue. Djokovic was 40-1 since 2011, only losing to Wawrinka, and he was #2 and the overwhelming favorite for a 7th AO.
For Söderling, that upset was a breakthrough win (similar to Fedr over Sampras; the upset provided a springboard for a new elite player). For Istomin, he came out of nowhere and went right back.