Soderling to miss remainder of season

 

Originally published on: 18/10/11 10:18

Robin Soderling will not play any further part in the ATP season in 2011 after suffering a prolonged battle with glandular fever.

The Swede hasn’t played on the ATP Tour since winning his fourth title of the year on home soil in Bastad last July and dropped down to No.6 in the world as a result of his ongoing battle with mononucleosis.

This week, the ATP Tour is in Stockholm for the If Stockholm Open – a tournament Soderling has never won – and the 27-year-old Monte Carlo resident announced his disappointment at having to withdraw from the ATP 250 event on facebook.

“I’m extremely disappointed and sad right now,” Soderling posted.

“Playing in Stockholm is very special for me and it’s a title I still miss and dream about. I made an attempt to train, but my body just could not do it. I felt worse after practice and so had to make a tough decision to not play in Stockholm.

“I have to think long term and plan to play tennis for years to come. I believe the best days are in front of me. I will do everything I can to get through this difficult time and come back stronger and more motivated than ever.”

The two-time French Open finalist first looked out of sorts at Wimbledon this year when he lost in straight sets to 18-year-old Bernard Tomic in the third round, but he followed up with back-to-back wins over Tomas Berdych and David Ferrer to clinch his 10th career title in Bastad.

A wrist injury saw Soderling take time out from competition thereafter, withdrawing from the ATP Masters 1000 event in Montreal and pulling out of his first round clash at the US Open despite traveling to New York.

Languishing at 11th place in the race for a place in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, Soderling will miss out on qualifying for the year-end showpiece event at London’s O2 Arena for a third straight year as a result of his struggle for fitness.

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