Soderling knocks out Hewitt in five-set thriller
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Xinhua, June 24, 2011
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Robin Soderling of Sweden celebrates defeating Lleyton Hewitt of Australia at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London June 23, 2011. (Xinhua/Reuters) |
Robin Soderling of Sweden rallied back from two sets down to edge out 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt 6-7 (5), 3-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 Thursday in the second round of Wimbledon Championship.
Soderling looked to be heading for an upset defeat after losing the opening two sets before digging out a gutsy victory before an enthralled Centre Court.
Soderling had never won a match after trailing by two sets before but insisted he had stayed cool under pressure as Hewitt appeared poised for an upset.
"You just have to take it one point at a time," Soderling said. "But I felt that if I could raise my game a little bit I would have a chance."
Soderling now faces either Australian youngster Bernard Tomic or Russia's Igor Andreev in the next round.
Hewitt rallied from 3-1 down in the first set tie-break to take the first, and then pulled off a diving backhand winner to break and go 5-3 up in the second set before holding to take a 2-0 lead.
But Soderling raised his service game over the next two sets, never giving Hewitt a sniff of a break and levelling to force the fifth set, which he claimed when his Australian opponent was broken in the 10th game.
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