Virginia first year Carl Soderlund still hasn’t played an official collegiate match but the 19-year old from Sweden has already defeated several of college’s elite this week at the $25K USC/Los Angeles USA F1 Futures. Soderlund met Evan King (Michigan ’13) on Saturday afternoon in a match that started four hours later than scheduled due to a morning downpour. Soderlund started off the match with a hold and then after three consecutive breaks he would hold again for a 4-1 first set lead. After another set of holds, King rallied to even it at 5-5 with a hold, break, and yet another hold. King had a break point to go up 6-5 but Soderlund fought it off with a big serve and came back to hold and the set would go to a tiebreak one game later. Soderlund won the first three points of the tiebreak and rolled 7-2.
Soderlund struck first in the second set with a love break to go ahead 3-2 and a few games later he’d have his first match point when King served at 3-5, 30/40. King got it back to deuce with a volley winner and two points later he’d hold after a backhand volley forced a Soderlund error. King put the match back on serve after breaking from 30/40 but in the tiebreak he’d face another match point when serving at 5-6. King managed to even it at 6-6 after another nice volley forced a Soderlund error and two points later he’d have the set 8-6.
In the third set neither player faced a break point until King served at 3-4, 30/40. Soderlund would convert with a forehand winner and a few minutes later he would have his third match point after King floated a backhand slice long. Soderlund closed it out on the next point by putting an overhead away and after 2 hours and 36 minutes he had a 7-6(2), 6-7(6), 6-3 win.
Soderlund will meet 2016 NCAA Champion Mackenzie McDonald in Sunday’s final after McDonald came back from a set down to defeat Yannick Hanfmann in three sets. Hanfmann broke McDonald twice to take the first set 6-2 but McDonald wouldn’t face another break point the rest of the match as he closed it out 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in 1 hour and 55 minutes.
Hanfmann actually had to play another match on Saturday at the USA F2 just down the road in Long Beach. Hanfmann apparently didn’t sign up in time for Long Beach so he was put into the qualifying draw despite his ATP ranking of 317. He managed to win the opening set against North Carolina senior Ronnie Schneider but he faded quickly dropping the final two sets 6-0, 6-0.
You can rewatch the matches at these links – Soderlund/King (Part 1/Part 2), McDonald/Hanfmann (Part 1/Part 2). Sunday’s final will begin at 11 a.m. PT.
$25K Los Angles USA F1 Futures Semifinals
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