Soderling takes Rotterdam title as Youzhny withdraws

Rotterdam: Swedish third seed Robin Soderling clinched the World Indoor Tournament title when opponent Mikhail Youzhny withdrew injured when trailing 6-4 2-0 in the final on Sunday. Youzhny had complained about a slight leg injury after his stunning win over top seed Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. However, the Russian began the final by breaking Soderling’s service game. The Swedish world number eight recovered immediately, breaking Youzhny twice to take the first set and after an early break in the second the 2007 champion gave up. It was Soderling’s fifth career title and came after a disappointing start to the year with first round exits in Chennai and at the Australian Open. “I came here without any confidence and didn’t play well in my first two matches” Soderling told reporters. “But my coach, Magnus Norman, has been great this week and telling me that even when I wasn’t playing great I still am tough to beat.” “The best medicine to regain confidence is winning matches and especially against good opponents. “I feel sorry for Mikhail as it is never easy to retire injured and especially not in a final,” he added. Soderling, 25, became the first Swedish winner in Rotterdam since Anders Jarryd won the title in 1993. For Youzhny, it was a disappointing end to the tournament after the hard work he delivered to get to the final -- beating Gael Monfils in a three-hour spectacle and needing more than two hours to upset Djokovic. “I felt the pain yesterday already but then I still could play” the Youhzny told reporters. “But today it got worse. It feels like a muscle injury around the hip but it could also be a nerve.” “It is not surprising that so many players are injured early in the year if you see the tough ATP calendar,” he added. Bureau Report