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STOCKHOLM OPEN

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Soderling Wins Opener; Two-Time Champ Johansson Falls


Top Swede Robin Soderling advanced to the second round at the If Stockholm Open with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over German Benjamin Becker on Wednesday. The No. 4 seed broke his opponent once in each set to notch his 10th match win in Stockholm (10-5 record).
Soderling, currently No. 35 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, reached his first of seven ATP finals at this event in 2003 (l. to Fish) and also was a semifinalist in 2006 (l. to Blake).


The 26-year-old will look to reach his seventh quarterfinal of the season when he faces Argentine lucky loser Juan Monaco, who defeated Jonas Bjorkman in the Swedish veteran's last singles match on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, two-time champion and 2007 finalist Thomas Johansson of Sweden fell in his opening match to Spanish No. 7 seed Albert Montanes (pictured), 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. It marked just the fourth time in 13 event appearances that the former World No. 7 had lost in the Stockholm first round. Johansson titled at this event in 2000 (d. Kafelnikov) and '04 (d. Agassi) and was runner-up in 1998 (l. to Martin) and 2007 (l. to Karlovic).
The 27-year-old Montanes became the oldest first-time ATP titlist this year when he defeated Belgian Steve Darcis in the Amersfoort final. He goes on the face Swiss George Bastl, a 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(4) winner over fellow qualifier Frederik Nielsen of Denmark.
Third-seeded Finn Jarkko Nieminen survived a scare in the first round, rallying from a set down to defeat Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5. The 27-year-old, who fired 11 aces and broke serve four times in the 2 hr., 20 min., encounter, is making his ninth straight appearance in Stockholm and improved to a 12-8 event record. He has reached the final twice in 2001 (l. to Schalken in five sets) and in ’06 (l. to Blake) and was also a quarterfinalist last year (l. to Blake).
The World No. 33 made a strong start to the season, reaching his eighth ATP final (1-7 record) at Adelaide (l. to Llodra) and his first Australian Open quarterfinal (l. to Nadal). In July he advanced to the quarterfinals at Bastad (l. to Robredo) and has a 22-24 season record.
Nieminen next will face Frenchman Arnaud Clement, who converted five break points as he ended Swedish qualifier Bjorn Rehnquist’s bid with a 6-2, 6-1 victory. The 30-year-old Clement is currently No. 86 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings down on a career-high No. 10 (April 2, 2001). The ‘s-Hertogenbosch (l. to del Potro) and Wimbledon (l. to Schuettler) quarterfinalist improved to an 11-15 match record.
German fifth seed Rainer Schuettler became the first player through to the quarterfinals after breaking serve four times to defeat Ecuador’s Nicolas Lapentti 7-6(6), 6-3 in the second round. The 32-year-old was also a quarterfinalist in Stockholm in 2000 (l. to Grosjean) and '05 (l. to Sanguinetti) and improved to a 7-5 event record.
It will be the third ATP quarterfinal (or better) appearance for Schuettler in as many weeks, after he made a semifinal exit at Beijing (l. to Sela) and a quarterfinal exit at Tokyo (l. to Gasquet). The right-hander kick-started his season with a semifinal effort at Wimbledon (l. to Nadal) and has improved his South African Airways ATP Rankings from No. 91 at the start of the year to his current position of No. 34.
In the other second round match, Spaniard Oscar Hernandez ousted No. 6 seed Jose Acasuso of Argentina 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 as he converted on three of his 15 break point opportunities. The 30-year-old Hernandez is through to his sixth ATP quarterfinal this year, and his first on hard court.



Info and photo from ATP







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