"Swede Robin Soderling fired 16 aces and put on a flawless display in defeating top seed Andy Roddick 7-6(6), 6-3, on Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships.
Soderling improved to 9-2 on the season by reaching the semifinals for the second straight week. Last week in Rotterdam he lost in the final in a third set tie-break to Frenchman Michael Llodra.
"We both served well and it was fun to play against him," said Soderling of his first-time meeting with Roddick. "This is probably my favorite court on tour. I am serving great and I have no complaints at all."
"He played well and I thought if I would have gotten through that match, I've had a good chance of going the whole way," said Roddick, who never had break point on the Swede's serve. "I certainly think he's going to go all the way."
In the first set, both players held serve, forcing a tie-break. Roddick had a set point at 6-5 but Soderling hit a service winner and fired an ace, giving him a 7-6 lead. On the next point, Roddick hit a forehand that clicked the top of the net and went wide. In the second set, Soderling went up a break at 4-3 when Roddick double-faulted. He then held for 5-3 and broke Roddick a second time to secure the victory.
Soderling has only faced two break points in 25 service games this week. "I think I am playing better and better with every match," said the 23-year-old Swede.
He will next face No. 4 seed Radek Stepanek, who only lost nine points in 10 service games in a 7-6(4), 6-1 victory over Aussie left-hander Chris Guccione. Stepanek is coming off a runner-up last Sunday in San Jose.
Stepanek converted two of seven break points with both breaks coming in the second set (at 2-0 and 4-0) while never facing a break point in the one hour and nine minute match. Guccione only won 42% of second serve points while Stepanek more than doubled that mark at 86%.
Jonas Bjorkman saved one match point to reach the semifinals with a 1-6, 6-2, 7-6(6) victory in one hour and 59 minutes over American teenager Donald Young.
The 35-year-old Swede who won his second straight third set tie-break match, advances to the semifinals in Memphis for the first time since 1997. That year he lost to Todd Woodbridge.
After splitting the first two sets, Bjorkman went ahead 3-1 in the third set. But he lost serve in the next game. Both players held serve the rest of the way, forcing a tie-break. Neither player held serve for the first six points until Young went up 4-3. The 18-year-old then held a match point at 6-5 but Bjorkman fired a service winner to tie the score. He then hit a backhand volley winner to gain his first match point and won it when Young netted a backhand.
"He hit a big serve on match point and he played the big points well," said Young, who was playing in his first ATP quarterfinal. "This was a good week for me and I will take something from this match."
Both players were broken four times in the match. Bjorkman saved eight of 12 break points and Young seven of 11
This is Bjorkman's first ATP semifinal since June last year when he reached the semis in Nottingham. He will face Belgian Steve Darcis for the first time.
"It's a big surprise (to be in the semifinals) when you don't have expectations," said Bjorkman, who is playing in his first ATP tournament of the season. "I had good training for ten days with the Davis Cup team but I didn't expect to go this far in my first tournament. I dug deep and always find a way to win and fight."
Belgian Steve Darcis needed only 51 minutes to defeat Benjamin Becker 6-1, 6-0 to reach his second career ATP semifinal.
The 23-year-old Belgian hit nine aces and converted five of 10 break points while saving all four break points he faced.
Darcis is trying to reach his second career ATP final after winning his first title in Amersfoort, the Netherlands as a qualifier last summer."
http://rmkchampionships.com/1/news/2008/fridaymen.asp