Rafael Nadal faces the man who ended his 4 year reign as French Open champion back in June.

This is one of the most eagerly anticipated match-ups of the round robin stage. Will Soderling be inspired once again ?   That fourth round encounter at Roland Garros was a day that shocked the tennis world. Everyone expected Nadal to stroll on to a fifth successive French Open crown, he had never before lost in the tournament and no one gave the Swede the slightest chance. After all just weeks before he had been annihilated by Nadal 6-1, 6-0 in Rome.

However Soderling played out of his mind, crushing winner after winner for four unbelievably tense sets to send Nadal out.

Another upset is definitely not out of the question. The fast indoor courts in the O2 arena suit Soderling’s big hitting game far more than Nadal who has again looked vulnerable to the power players in recent months. Since his loss to Del Potro in New York, he’s also been outplayed by Marin Cilic, Nikolay Davydenko and Novak Djokovic, all players with the ability to flatten out their shots, go for the lines and keep it up for long periods of time.

Nadal has won a lot of matches this autumn, making the Shanghai Masters final and the semi-finals in Paris but he’s far from top form. If Soderling can serve well he has an excellent chance.

The odds are quite tight, Nadal is 4/6 with bet365 while Soderling is 13/10 with Boylesports.

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