Robin Soderling (SWE)[23] vs. Fernando Gonzalez (CHI)[12]
Soderling rocked the men's draw with his stunning upset of the world number one and defending champion Rafael Nadal of Spain in the fourth round. In the quarterfinals, he then staged another upset win, defeating the 10th seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia in straight sets, losing only five games.
Soderling trails Gonzalez head to head 3-4 and has lost their last four meetings. However the two have not faced off since 2007.
Gonzalez prefers clay more than the Swede. But if Soderling can continue to connect with explosive forehands and serves reaching 140 miles per hour, he can turn the match into a hardcourt type of contest, which would work in his favor.
Winner: Soderling
Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG)[5] v. Roger Federer (SUI)[2]
The South American del Potro has only lost one set in Paris this year and at 6 feet 6 inches tall overpowers the many of his opponents. But after losing to Nadal the last four years in Paris, Federer will sense this is his chance to win finally the French Open, which has in the past been so elusive to him.
Federer leads del Potro 5-0 head to head and has never lost a set to the Argentine. At the Madrid semifinals last month Federer won their last encounter 6-3, 6-4 and I look for a similar scoreline tomorrow.
Del Potro is a clean hitter from the baseline but Federer is an even better hitter and possesses much more experience. If Federer can keep the points short and the taller player off balance, he should cruise one step closer towards the title of the greatest male tennis player ever.
Winner: Federer
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