Top seed Robin Soderling denied Andy Roddickâs quest for back-to-back titles with a 6-3, 7-5 win over the American in the Brisbane International final Sunday. The victory elevated the power-hitting Swede back to his career-high mark of No. 4 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings.
Soderling won his seventh career title but just his second title outdoors. (Although the Pat Rafter arena is largely covered by a roof to shade spectators, the event is an outdoor event.)
The Swede did not face a break point in the match and won 35 of 39 first serve points. In contrast, he earned 10 break point chances on the Roddick serve, converting once in each set.
Soderling did not drop a set en route to the title and was broken just once in the tournament (by Stepanek in the semi-finals). Last year Soderling captured two ATP World Tour titles in five finals, including his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Paris (d. Monfils). He now has a 7-10 career mark in finals.
Roddick, who hit 12 aces in the final for a tournament tally of 54, announced after the match that he would double the $100 he previously pledged for each ace hit to benefit Queensland flood relief efforts. Roddick will donate $10,800 to flood victims.
