The French Open: A Bad Day for Nadal

The almost unthinkable happened at the French Open yesterday, when Sweden’s Robin Soderling smashed his way to an upset victory over Rafael Nadal, breaking the Spanish champion’s 31-match winning streak at Roland Garros and ending his hope of setting a new record for five-straight wins at the French Open.

The 24-year-old Soderling, who took the match in four sets, 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-6 (2), was seeded 23rd and has never reached the fourth round in a Grand Slam tournament, but he is know for a walloping serve and a strong forehand, and he had nearly beaten Nadal once, at Wimbledon in 2007.

“His game didn’t surprise me,” Nadal later told the press. “I was more surprised by mine.”

Asked who he would like to see win the title, now that he is out, Nadal loyally chose his fellow Spaniards, and then Roger Federer. “It would be good for him to complete his Grand Slam. Federer had the bad luck to lose three finals and one semi-final here, but I think that if there is someone who deserves it, it’s really him.”

In a second upset, Ana Ivanovic, last year’s winner, also lost her fourth round match to the ninth-seeded, 19-year-old Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, in a decisive two-set 6-2, 6-3.

In other play today, Federer defeated Germany’s Tommy Haas, and Serena Williams defeated Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak.

Watch the entire French Open on TV5 Monde.